


Between Friends

by ARMYIncle



Category: K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College, F/M, Fluff, Housemates, Romance, Shipping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2018-10-18 14:18:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 68,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10618692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ARMYIncle/pseuds/ARMYIncle
Summary: When you find yourself in a difficult situation and your best friend since childhood provides more than just a shoulder to lean on, what will happen?~Your journey as a college student with your best friend, Taehyung and his six housemates as you embark on a journey of self-discovery and love.Please enjoy reading my story, it's the first thing I've written so please bear with me, lol. Feel free to comment any feedback, I'd love to know what you think :)





	1. Prologue

* * *

**Six months ago:**

Sitting across from you was probably one of the most beautiful examples of a human male specimen you'd ever seen, you realised as you let your eyes travel back up from the outline of his ripped torso just visible as it pressed gently against his black shirt, his collar bones gingerly peeking out at the top, further drawing your attention to the bare flesh of his throat desperately clinging to his Adam's apple. His defined, chiseled jaw giving way to a charming, angelic face with pink, soft plump lips and a mop of black hair, through which he couldn't seem to stop running his hands.

 _Fuck you Tae!_ You wanted to scream aloud. Seriously, you should have known he would set you up with someone gorgeous, why wouldn't he, when it's all he's ever done. Like, if he was going to pull this shit, he could at least try to set me up with someone I'd actually stand a chance with.

The waitress came over with your drinks, setting them down seemingly loudly and gave you more time to decide on the orders for your food.  
"So you know Taehyung?" He asked, fidgeting with the coaster, attempting to break the silence you'd awkwardly been drowning in since the boy in question had left you.

"Oh, yeah. We grew up together." You quickly replied.

"Ohh..." and just like that, the two of you once again plunged into that awkward silence.

Watching him gulp down his beer, you piped up, looking over your menu at him, "How did you guys meet?"

"College. We're in some of the same classes." Nervously, he added, "Sorry I'm so bad at this...its just I didn't know he would dump us here together, I mean he told me we'd be meeting some friends for dinner and a movie. Really, I'm usually much more charming..." he trailed off, flashing a half smile.

"Ha, no it's okay, at least you knew there were plans of sorts. He literally just showed up at my house, dressed me, marched me out the door and put me in his car."

His eyebrows shot up. "You just let him do that?"

"Well, have you met Tae? I mean, protesting became so exhausting, I just learned to suck it up after the first few times. Like seriously, you tell the guy one time you don't think you're cut out for love and h-" You cut yourself off when you saw his eyes widen and then soften at what you had just blurted out.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not weird or anything, it's just that I've never really cared much for anyone in a romantic way, for me it was always just about the physical-" his small eyes became impossibly round again, "Oh my gawsh, why is this shit even coming out of my mouth?" Clearing your throat, you added, "You know what? I'm just going to shut up now."

He just chuckled at that, turning you a deeper red than the wine you were sipping on. "You're cute." he stated with a retarded smile on his face.

_I can't do this._

Fiddling with the stem of your glass, you asked, "Actually, could we just skip the dinner and movie?"

"And get straight to the good part?" He asked back, adding a wink, tormenting you further.

"What? Noooo, that's not what I meant." You replied, covering your face with your hands.

Again, he laughed at your discomfort, but answered seriously, "We could skip it if you'd like, although Taehyung did already buy the tickets, it'd be a shame to waste it. Plus I've got to drop you off."

"Um, ahh, I can just take a cab, really, and the movie isn't going to start for another hour anyway, so you know, you can just call someone you want to take and go with her, or him, whatever you prefer, I won't judge."

He leans in, over the table, staring into your eyes, "Do I make you nervous?"

_Yup. There's no way I'll make it through the night like this._

"No." You answer a bit too defensively. "But I actually have to leave. I have to feed my roommate's cat." You lie, adding, "Besides, I'm not in the right frame of mind tonight..."

"Oh, okay." He says, sitting back. "I get it, I'm not really in the mood for it either, I just didn't want to disappoint you and have Taehyung go all ape-shit on my ass..." he said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

After paying for your drinks, you stood up and made your way to the entrance of the restaurant together.  
Once outside, he waited with you for your taxi. When it arrived, he said, "It was nice meeting you, Y/N. Enjoy your evening with the 'cat'."

_Well, I guess he saw right through that, at least I'm never gonna have to see him again._

With a weak smile, you answered, climbing in, "Right, enjoy yours too. Goodbye."

~

**Present day:**

_Maybe I am cut out for love, after all._ You think, still half asleep, snuggling closer to Inho. It's been five months since you started dating and you've actually fallen for this guy.  _Seriously, I might actually love him._

He kisses your forehead and pulls you even closer. "We should probably get up if we're going to class..." he murmurs in your ear.

"Mmmh, five more minutes."

He moves to get up. "Come on babe, its a big day for you. Get ready while I go make some breakfast."

You sit up slowly, "Ugh, don't remind me. Please, let's just stay in today? We only really need to go to class after lunch." You beg with a pout, trying to pull him back down.

He leans down, pecks you and whispers, "Get done, mmh?"

You plop back down and mock cry into your pillow, filled with nervousness for the presentation you'll have to deliver this evening.

When you arrive at college, he squeezes your hand and wishes you luck as you won't have the chance to see each other before the presentation that will decide your fate. "I'll come by your place later, okay?" He takes your face in his hands and kisses you softly, "You'll do well, don't worry."

~

To your suprise, it actually wasn't all that bad. It wasn't great, but the judging panel didn't seem to completely hate your ideas, you could answer all of their questions and the whole event finished about an hour earlier than expected, so you took it as a win.

"Bang, bang, bang!" you sing along as you turn up the music in your car, "Pangya, pangya, pangya!"

When you get home, you see Inho's car parked in front and squeal in delight, thinking he probably came early to prepare dinner or something to surprise you when you get back. You consider giving him more time to prepare but want to get the evening started as soon as possible. You've been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now and decided that tonight will be the night. You're finally going to give yourself to him.  _I love him._

You rush up to the front door and enter quietly so as to surprise him. Coming into the lounge, you find it dimly lit with a naked guy on top of your roommate. Scarred by the sight, you turn to leave.  _Where is Inho? Why is he here when Caitlin's busy fucking some dude? He wasn't in his car either._

The guy then murmurs something to her and you whip around, recognising his voice.

_That's my Inho with her._


	2. I wonder what it tastes like...

**Y/N:**

With tears springing to your eyes and your hand wrapped tightly over your mouth in an attempt to hold everything you're feeling in, you do your best to exit the place as quietly as you entered.

Finally outside, you rush to your car and just sit, staring blankly ahead for a while, putting the pieces together. My boyfriend is fucking my roommate. My Inho is with my best friend, on my living room floor, in my apartment.

_Fuck!_

Wanting to drive around for a bit until you calm down and can go back and confront them without crying, you turn on the car and immediately regret it as Bigbang's 'Loser' starts playing and you burst into tears. Driving with blurry vision and your mind replaying the moment you walked in on them like a gif, you eventually find yourself parked outside Taehyung's place.

You ring the doorbell and knock on the door, hoping he's home as you stand alone in the cold. You tell yourself you won't cry, but as soon as you hear footsteps approaching the door, your chest heaves and you practically throw yourself into the arms of the guy who opens up.

"Oppa!" You cry into his chest.

"Ahh, I knew you'd come around to my charms one day."

You freeze instantly in his arms and pull your head back to look at his face. "Kim Namjoon?"

"Hey beautiful," he replies with a wink, "You okay?"

Suddenly, he gets pushed into the wall. "Yahh! Can you not flirt right now?" Taehyung turns his attention to you and pulls you into his arms, kissing the top of your head. "Come inside, we'll make some hot chocolate and you can tell me what happened when you're ready, okay?"

Once your crying is somewhat under control, he sits you down on a barstool in the kitchen and Namjoon brings the hot chocolate over, both of them waiting for you to say something.

"Hyung?" Taehyung asks.

"Mmh?" The older boy replies.

"Get lost for a while, please?"

"No, no. He doesn't have to leave," You interrupt, taking hold of Namjoon's hand.

You explain the situation to them and when they offer to beat Inho up, you try to laugh and ask them to at least hold off until you have a chance to confront him.

They agree and then in an attempt to cheer you up, the pair start showing off their fighting skills -which are appalling, by the way- and Namjoon manages to spear Taehyung into you, knocking your chin and spilling the drink all over your dress.

"Ahh, shit! I'm so sorry, Y/N."

"Go shower, you'll have to wash up before bed anyway. I'll get you a fresh towel and something to sleep in so long." Taehyung suggests.

"Huh?" You ask, wondering if you missed something.

"There's no way in hell I'm letting you go back to that shithole for a while. One of our housemates moved out so there's a spare room you can stay in, don't worry."

"Oh. Won't the others mind though?"

"Don't be silly. It's my house so they can't do anything anyway. Go, shower." Namjoon answers coolly.

After you shower and change into one of his shirts, Taehyung leads you to the guest room and helps settle you in.

"Try to get some sleep, okay? He isn't worth your tears." He says, wiping away a tear that managed to escape.

"Taehyung-ah, can you stay with me for a while? I don't want to be alone."

He sits behind you, wrapping himself around you and resting his chin on your shoulder. "I'll stay as long as you need."

For a while, you just sit in silence.

"You know, talking helps and I might be wrong, but I don't think you got everything off your chest before."

You sigh, "You know me too well for my own good. But I don't think that it's something I'm ready to say out loud." You turn to meet his eyes, hoping he reads between the lines.

"You're in love with him?" He asks quietly.

More silence. He looks down. "Fuck. Then, did you guys..."

"No, but I was going to... I even got the condoms," You say, turning your body to face him while reaching into your bag and throwing them on the bed with a heavy sigh. "I-I thought we'd do it tonight if everything went well with my presentation...I guess in some twisted way I was kinda lucky to have found out before I went through with it, huh?"

"Oh sweety, I'm so sorry." His voice breaks as he puts you on his lap like a child and rubs your back.

Trying to break the gloomy atmosphere, you say, "You can take the rubbers if you want, they're flavoured, you know?"

He chuckles darkly, "Really?" He asks, reaching over to inspect the box. "I wonder what it tastes like...strawberry" he reads, ripping one open with his teeth.

"Tae Tae, I don't think that's a good ide-"

He licks it.

"Oh hell! Eww. No thank you." He fake gags with his tongue out while you laugh. "Yahh! Don't laugh at me." He scolds, nudging you.

"But why would you put that in your mouth?" You retort.

"Well, I've never tasted one." Then, with a glint in his eye. "Why don't you try?"

You pull my head away, "Uh-uh, I'm good."

"You sure? It's really not that bad once you get past the plastic taste, its actually quite nice." He tries to convince you while shoving it in your face. You manage to wriggle out of his arms and try to run away.

Since there's not much place to run in the room, he catches and dumps you on the bed, sitting on top of you while trying to pry your hands from your mouth. After struggling awhile, he gets off you and scratches his head. You let your guard down and its then he pounces, tickling you and taking full advantage when you yelp.

Laughing, he rolls off you and lays back with his hands behind his head and a smug look on his face. "Tastes good, huh?" He asks, winking as you spit the vile thing out.

"Seriously dude?"

He just smirks and pats the space next to him. You lie down and for the next few hours you speak about everything and nothing and actually manage to forget about how f'd up things are for a while, falling soundly asleep in his arms.

In the morning, you awake alone and find a note along with a toothbrush and some headache pills.

_**So you woke up, mmh?  I thought you might need these.  Make yourself at home, okay?** _

_You sigh heavily. Why couldn't I have fallen for someone like you, Tae?_


	3. Why are you so interested?

**Jimin:**

Still half asleep, Jimin stumbles out of the bathroom and makes his way into the kitchen, his mouth watering from whatever it is Jin is making. Gosh, that smells good. He sits down while yawning and then realises that those cannot be Seokjin's feet. Those feet are small and cute, not at all like Hyung's. There's a girl in our kitchen. Whose is she? Usually, nobody has a girl stay past sunrise, and even if they do, she definitely doesn't go around the house cooking and stuff.

Although it's wrong, he can't help but drink her in. He can't see her face, but the way she's standing with one foot propped upon the other, her bare legs gently caressing each other, dressed in nothing but a men's shirt and her hair still kind of messy from the night before, he'd take her right now. Jimin, he tells himself, you've got to get laid.

When you turn around, he has no idea how to react.

"Oh, hi. You scared me, I'm Taehyung's friend, Y/-" You say after recovering from the fright.

"Y/N. Yeah, I remember. It's nice to see you again." He says with a smile, recognising you. From the look on your face he can tell you can't remember him for shit.  _That's disappointing._  "Ahh, you don't remember? Tae tried to set us up a few months ago. But you left to feed your cat or something?"

Your face reddens instantly at the memory. "Oh, right, yeah. I'm sorry about that, I was definitely not in my right mind that day. How'd you even remember me?"

"Well, it was the first and last blind date I went on, so um, I guess you can say you made a lasting impression." He answers with a chuckle.

"Oh. I'm sorry for ruining it for you. Err, aside from blind dates, I'm also bad with names, what was yours again?"

"Jimin." An awkward silence starts setting in. "So you and Taehyung decided to take your relationship up a notch, huh?" He asks, gesturing at your appearance.

"What? No, its not like that." The front door opens.

"Honey, I'm home!" Taehyung shouts. "Y/N? Babe..." Taehyung sings.

Jimin shoots you a look and chuckles. At that, you face palm and then add, "It really isn't."

~

**Y/N:**

"Hey beautiful." Taehyung says, pecking your cheek. "What are you cooking? It smells great." He asks, washing his hands. That Jimin guy smirks.

"'Sup Chimchim? How's your back?"

"Ah, much better, I'll go with you to class after lunch."

Seeing your confusion, Taehyung explains, "He hurt himself at dance practice a couple of days ago."

"You're studying performing arts too?" You ask.

"Yeah, what are you doing?"

"What's it to you?" Taehyung answers sort of protectively, flashing a dangerous look at his friend. To you he says, "I went by your place to get some fresh clothes and stuff I thought you'd need over the next few days. I wasn't sure if you'd be ready to..." He trails off as he sees you tear up. "Sorry." He mumbles, pursing his lips and getting up to hug you.

Picking up on the shifting mood, Jimin awkwardly gets up and announces that he's going to wash up and get dressed for class. He walks away, and once again, you cry wholeheartedly into Taehyung's chest.

"Sweetie, he really isn't worth your tears. Please don't cry."

~

**Taehyung:**

_If I see that arsehole today, I don't know if I'll be able to hold back. I know she asked me to pretend as if I don't know anything, but really. How could that fucker be so cruel?Cheating on her with her bitch roommate..._ He thinks, on the way back to college with Jimin.  
"So her boyfriend cheated on her? I'm sorry to ask, but I couldn't help overhearing earlier."

"Yeah, she walked in on him with her roommate yesterday. I feel so bad for bringing them together. They didn't even notice her standing there, fucking bastards." He mutters, his knuckles white as he grips the steering wheel.

"What a dick." Jimin replies, adding, "Wait, if you set them up, then is he someone I know?"

"Why are you so interested? You don't even know her." He asks, annoyed.

"Well I did go on a date with the girl and she couldn't get out of there fast enough, so I just want to know how he's better than me."

Even though he's pissed, he feels bad for taking it out on Jimin, especially when he's clearly doubting himself, as always, so he answers, "Choi Inho. The one in our English class."

Then, out of nowhere,"She's the virgin girlfriend?!" Jimin exclaims.

He brakes hard and the car comes to a screeching halt. "What? How do you even know about that?"

"He spoke to me about her once. Aai, the poor girl, he's been cheating for months now."

"Go on. What else did he say?" Taehyung encourages, wanting to get to the bottom of things.

"He didn't say much, just that since he isn't a 'jerk', he didn't want to dump her just because she's a virgin, but 'a guy has needs' so...you know..."

"When was this?"

"Three, maybe four months ago?"

"Fucking bastard. That fuckface better steer clear of me today, because I really don't know if I'll be able to pretend that nothings up." He starts driving again.


	4. W-what happened to her clothes?

** Taehyung: **

_Look at him, so relaxed, while his girl is in pieces_. He barely makes it through English class, almost snapping his pen, his focus entirely on Inho.In order to contain himself, he rushes out as soon as class is over and heads for the parking lot.

"Dude, slow down, I'm shorter than you, remember?" Jimin complains, hurrying to catch up. Taehyung pauses briefly and turns to look back at him, regretting it as he catches Inho's eye and he jogs over.

"Fuck." He says under his breath. Then to Inho, "Hi, what's up?"

"Have you heard anything from Y/N? We were supposed to meet up last night, but she never came home and then I waited for her this morning outside her class, but she never pitched. I'm really worried, she isn't even answering her phone."

 _Really worried? Gosh, this dick should major in acting_.

"Oh yeah, she didn't come to class today."

"You spoke to her?"

"Well, would you be able to spend the night in bed with her and not say a word? Anyway, she had me up all night so when she fell asleep, I didn't want to wake her. She looked so sweet in my arms, you know?" Seeing his face, he adds with a wink, "Don't worry, I took ‘ _really’_ good care of her."

"What?" Inho asks, looking genuinely confused.

"Besides, its not like she even had any clothes to leave the house in."

"W-what happened to her clothes?"

"Oh, uh, I guess you could say they had an accident?" He chuckles, taunting Inho. "Gosh, she really wore me out." He says softly, stretching. "Anyway, I've got to fetch Jungkook, he's on East Campus today. See you around." He salutes with a lopsided grin as he turns his back on him and walks toward the car.

_~_

** Y/N: **

After doing the dishes at lunch and starting on something for dinner, you go back to the room with the bag of clothes Taehyung brought for you and take in the state as you open the door.

 _Hell, how did it get so untidy? Ugh, I'll clean up after I shower._ You think, walking through the room into the en suite with the bag. After using the toilet, you start unbuttoning your shirt and then go back into the room, remembering to fetch a towel.

"Fuck."

"What the hell Y/N?" Inho says, gesturing to the room while taking in your appearance, looking you over multiple times.

"How did you get in here?" You ask.

"How did I get in here?" He scoffs. "That's not im-fucking-portant. What the fuck is going on? You refuse to sleep with me -your boyfriend- but here you are, hoeing around with Taehyung? And don't even think about spouting that virgin shit at me. Not when there's a damned condom on the floor and you're wearing nothing but his shirt, looking freshly fucking laid!" He shouts.

"Look, you don't even know what you're talking about, okay? And I'm really just so tired. Please leave."

"No! Tired from what? I demand an explanation. What am I to you? A joke? I'm supposed to be your boyfriend. Next week is our anniversary for God's sake! I've been loyal to you for all this ti–"

"Loyal! Really, you've been loyal?" He looks confused. "If you were so loyal, then what the hell did I walk into last night, huh? What the fuck was that!?!"

"What?"

"My presentation ended about an hour early, and I came straight home so I could tell my 'boyfriend' how well it went and finally admit to him that I am head over heels in love with him! How do you think I felt when I came inside? Huh? How the fuck do you think I felt?" You scream, hitting his chest.

"Y/N, I'm sorry." He whispers, reaching out for you, realising what you're talking about.

"Don't fucking touch me!" You shout, turning away from him.

"It's only because you wouldn't do it. And its not like I slept around, I only did it with her."

Sharply, you turn back to him, your eyes wild. "Do you honestly think that makes it better? Why did it have to be her of all people? And by the way, don't try to put this all on me. Who was the one who told me that I should stick to my morals and principles, even if its difficult for us? Gosh, no wonder it seemed so easy for you -you could just walk into the next room and wham! Rid yourself of all your frustration!"

"But I'm in love with you. I did it for you, to make you happy. We can make this work. We've both made mistakes." he says, pointing at the rubber on the floor.

"You think I had sex with him? Taehyung is like my brother. In case you haven't realised, I bought those condoms for us!"

"For us? You were-"

"Yes. But that's over now."

"I'm really sorry. Please, we can make this work. You and me." He reaches out for you again.

"I told you, don't touch me! I don't want anything to do with you."

"But I love you."

"No you don't. If you loved me, if you cared for me even once, you would have been honest and told me that you couldn't keep it in your pants and ended things before I fell for you. How could the two of you even look at me?" You walk past him, out of the room and towards the front door as he follows, continually apologising.

"Please Y/N, don't ruin us."

"I'm not the one who did that." You say, opening the door. "Get out."

"Y/N..."

"Please leave. I don't want to see you."

"Okay, you're upset, I understand." He steps outside. "Take some time to think about us, okay?"

"I don't think you get it." You say, looking him straight in the eye, "I never want to see you again. Don't call me. Don't text me. Don't try to see me at college and don't  _ever_  come back here. Please. Leave me alone."

"But I lo-" You shut the door in his face and slump down against it, wanting to cry but unable to find the tears.


	5. Don't do anything.

** Y/N: **

"Are you okay?" A figure emerges from one of the bedrooms. "I'm sorry for letting him in, I thought since he was your boyfriend it would be okay."

"Oh, yeah." You say tiredly to the familiar face. "Sorry for all the drama. I didn't know anyone else was here."

"Don't worry about it, I won't tell." Hoseok says, crouching down beside you. "It's been a while since I've seen you, I was so excited when Tae said you'd be staying for a few days. How about we catch up with a drink? You look like you could use one."

You smile weakly at him. "Definitely."

He gets out a couple of bottles of soju and starts pouring when a guy walks into the living area, stretching -completely naked- with earphones in, not even seeing you and Hoseok. With rounded eyes, you can do nothing but stare at the man while Hoseok yells, trying to get his attention. When he opens his eyes and starts speaking, notices you and casually covers his family jewels.

"Y/N! When did you get here?"

"Hey Yoongi," You manage, barely able to look at him. "I came yesterday. I was wondering where you were."

"Yesterday?" Looking you over, he asks, his head bobbing between the two of you, "Then did you guys..."

"What? No. Dude, come on, you know it's not like that." Hoseok says.

"Oh, relax. It was just a question." He says, raising his hands defensively. "Oh shit." He quickly covers his junk again. "I don't normally wear clothes around the house, so..." He trails off, pursing his lips and nodding, looking thirstily at the soju. 

" Wanna join us?" You ask.

"Yeah, just let me go change...unless you're okay with my current state?" He asks jokingly.

You half choke on air but recover quickly and reply, "I should probably get changed too. Let's pick this up in ten minutes, okay?"

"Okay! I'll prepare some snacks so long." Hoseok answers enthusiastically, rubbing his hands together.

~

By the time the other boys get back, the three of you are well warmed. Jin finishes making the food you started cooking while the rest of you continue drinking. After dinner he joins in the fun in the living room and the drinking fest resumes.

"Hey, your situation isn't that bad! Look at the bright side. You've been kissed and in love that's more than I've done..." A drunken Jungkook pipes up for the first time all night.

"I suppose you're right...you've never been in love?" You respond to his statement. Jungkook turns red and everyone starts laughing.

"What? There's nothing wrong with having never loved someone, I myself have only felt anything close to love twice." You reassure him.

Between bouts of laughter, Namjoon explains, "It's not that...he hasn't experienced the other thing." He nudges you, "Didn't you say you wanted to be someone's first the other day?" He asks teasingly.

"Ugh, don't mind them." You say to Jungkook, drunkenly trying to hold in your own laughter at how childish the boys are being. "It'll happen when it's meant to, just wait for the right moment, okay?"

Suddenly he gets up, "Yah Jeon Jungkook! We were just joking, you don't need to get so upset." Seokjin scolds.

"What are you doing?" You ask, frozen, as he crouches down in front of you, pulling your legs around his waist while everyone looks on.

"I'm tired of waiting." He takes your face in his hands and, sloppily, he kisses you. "How was that?" He asks with a cocky smile.

"Wet." You reply, laughing while wiping your mouth. "Sorry dude, but what was that?" 

"It was bad?" He asks confused, scratching his head.

"Don't worry, no one's first kiss is ever good." Yoongi laughs, patting him on his back. "You're lucky Taehyung passed out." He looks at the sleeping Jimin with Taehyung passed out on his lap. "If he saw that you'd be dead right now." 

"At least I would've died having been kissed." You all laugh. "I'm sorry for that." He looks up at you. "I should have asked your permission first."

"Pft!" From Jin. "Dude, you never ask a girl to kiss her. It's weird."

"Especially if you're a bad kisser, you'll only raise her expectations -if she says yes." Hoseok chimes in.

"I guess I'll just have to practice then." He turns back to you, wrapping his hand around the back of your neck.

You pull back quickly. "Naah, not again. I'm not gonna let you blindly practice on me. I'm not that drunk."

"Why not? I could be like your rebound. Just use me."

"You're drunk."

"Yes...but you are too. Everyone is. Come on." He tugs your hand.

"No, I can't..."

"Please...its not like it means anything."

_Oh, why did he have to be so cute! Why the hell not?_

"Don't do anything." You say, one hand resting on his firm chest, the other making its way up his neck, then tracing his jaw.

"Huh?" He swallows hard.

"If we're going to kiss, I will be the one who kisses you. Follow my lead. Okay?" You ask, your thumb brushing over his soft pink lips. He looks at you, swallowing again, quickly nodding.

You bring your face closer to his, smiling at his quickening breath. Softly, you touch his lips with your own. Once, twice, three times. Then once more, harder, really pressing your parted lips together. He presses back as you entangle your hands in his hair and he pulls you closer against him. You chuckle, and move your mouth slowly over his and a little moan escapes him when you tease him with your tongue. You deepen the kiss and he responds cautiously, unsure, "Kookie...don't think." You rasp, urging him on, softly biting his bottom lip. At that, he quickens his pace and draws you impossibly close, his mouth hot as it sucks hungrily at yours.

You remember that the other boys sitting around you and try to break off the kiss, eventually able to pull away and peck him lightly. Afraid to look around, you look instead at him, breathing heavily as he rests his forehead against yours. "How was that?" You return the question.

"Sorry for whatever the hell that was I put you through the first time." He smiles. You laugh breathily.

"Well shit. That happened." Jimin says, breaking the silence. "What's going on?" He asks, waking up.

"Kookie's first kiss." Yoongi responds.  
Jimin's eyebrows shoot up, "Oh my gaht."

For some reason, Jimin's comment makes you feel guilty, like you just cheated. Suddenly you're overwhelmed by sadness and everything tastes funny. You excuse yourself and head for bed, thoroughly rinsing your mouth several times before actually falling asleep.

The next day after class, you drive to your apartment and try to sort things out with Caitlin. She doesn't even apologise for what she did to you, so you just leave.

As the week progresses, things settle into a sort of rhythm. You still cry every day, and it hurts even just to think about Inho, but you pull yourself together and put on a brave face. In the morning, Seokjin prepares breakfast for everyone, you, Jimin and Taehyung go in one car -which makes you feel bad since Jungkook usually drives with them, but he's still avoiding you. You come back home for lunch, then go off to your afternoon classes, in the evening, you cook supper, everybody gathers to eat and then parts afterward.

Jimin constantly practices, so he's never really home and Yoongi, who is his roommate, stays in the room all day. Jin and Jungkook are paired up; since it's his house, Namjoon has his own room, although he's never in there alone; so you mostly chill in Taehyung and Hoseok's room.

~

"So, I've got some news..." You say at the end of the week. They all look up from their food. "Um, I've found a new place, so I'll be out of your hair in about two days. Thanks for putting up with me, I know it couldn't have been easy." You add a smile at the end of your little speech.

Hoseok's spoon clatters on the table. "Do you really have to leave?"

"Well I can't exactly stay here."

"Why not?" Namjoon asks.

"I can't live with seven guys! What is this? Y/N and the Seven Oppas?"

"But Jungkook is younger..."

"Well then it's Y/N and the Seven Handsome Men." Jimin replies, coolly running his hand through his hair. Everyone laughs.

"Seven? But I only count six. Ohhh, are you including yourself, Jiminie?" Jin asks, leading to another bout of laughter while Jimin frowns and mimics him.

"But seriously, can't you just stay? The room is empty anyway, and it's so difficult to find a good housemate." Namjoon says.

"Plus I don't feel like going back to cooking in the evenings." Jin adds.

"Trust me, hyung. No one wants you to go back to cooking dinner." Taehyung informs him.

"What? You said I was a good cook!"

"Well you're okay, I guess..."

"Also, if she stays we won't have to see Yoongi's dick anymore." 

"You guys are just jealous 'cause I'm bigger."

"Guys, guys, we're going off topic." Namjoon shuts everyone up. Then he turns to you, "Think of it as doing us a favour. No, a few favours. It benefits you too, our place is close to campus, you know all of us, I'll make the rent super cheap, and we can protect you better than any girl you're moving in with. It's a win-win."

"I don't know, isn't it a bit weird? Like what would my parents say?"

"What's so weird? We won't try to jump you! Well, maybe Jungkook will, but Taehyung's here, your parents trust him." Hoseok says, trying to convince you.

"Wait, wait. But what about Jimin, though? He'll be stuck with naked Yoongi forever." Taehyung mentions.

"He's never here anyway." Yoongi waves him off.

"I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable." You say, glancing at Jungkook. He catches your eye and looks back down at his food.

"You won't be. It would be cool if you stayed, you cook well too." Jungkook says while chewing his meat.

"See? There's no issue. When can we get the rest of your stuff?" Namjoon asks, pushing up his glasses.

"Well I was gonna go tomorrow."

"Okay, we'll go with you."

Feeling bad while clearing the dishes, you let Jimin know that if Yoongi ever gets too much, he can chill out in your room and he declines but thanks you as he leaves. Walking back to your room, you notice a guy leaning against the wall with one foot propped up and his hands in his pockets.

"Uh, hey..." Jungkook says, pushing himself off the wall with his foot.

"Hi...uh, what's up?" You ask.

He wrings his hands, "Can we talk?" He asks, meeting your eyes.


	6. Care to explain?

**Jungkook:**

"Please, sit down." You say, gesturing to the bed as you let him in. You sit opposite him, hugging a pillow to your chest. "What did you want to talk about?"

He remains standing and begins his apology. "What I did the other night...uh, pushing you into that sort of situation...I'm sorry. I was drunk and I should have thought about the circumstances and I was selfish and unfair to you, so I really am sorry."

"Yeah, you should be, it’s not good to just go around kissing girls when you're drunk, you know?" You scold sternly.

He bows deeply and responds, "I'm so sorry, is there anything I can do for you to forgive me?"

"Stop drinking."

"What?" 

_How can she expect me not to drink?_

"It’s the only way I can feel safe. How am I supposed to live here not knowing when you'll get it in your head to jump me?"

_She’s serious?_

"Right, of course. I won't drink from now on and I will work hard to regain your trust." He answers, bowing again.

At that, you burst out laughing and throw the pillow at him. "Dude, did you think I was being serious? How could you even agree to something so ridiculous?"

"Yeh?" He asks, puzzled.

"I'm trying to tell you that it’s okay. Honestly, that night, I overreacted, besides I'm the one who kissed you, remember?"

"I kissed you first!"

"Are we really going to argue over who kissed who? Besides, I wouldn't exactly call what you did a kiss." You flash a smile.

"Right." He smiles back. "So are we good then?" He asks hopefully.

"Are you still gonna avoid me?"

"Uh, no, I think it would be awkward for everyone if we kept dodging each other." He says, scratching the back of his head.

"You're the only one who's been dodging anyone." You comment softly. "Although, I agree. Friends?" You ask with your head tilted and arms outstretched.

_Do we have to hug?_

"Friends." He confirms, hugging you awkwardly. 

"Gosh, that was way too cheesy." You comment, pulling away. "Let's never do that again, okay?"

He lets out a sigh of relief and nods. "You smell really good by the way."

You just stare blankly. 

_Why would I say that?_  

"Uh, I'm sensitive to smell, I didn't mean it in a weird way. Sorry."

"It’s okay, I know my scent drives men insane." You say, flipping your hair. 

_Is she being serious?_

"That was a joke." You clarify.

"Ahh, ha-ha-ha." He stops and drops his head when you smirk. "Sorry."

You wave him off. "Whatever, have you gotten any action since the other night?"

"Oh. No. Uh, I think I need more practice first." You turn pale and he laughs. "Don't worry. I won't try anything," He says, standing up. "Unless you want me to." He winks as he walks out and closes the door behind him.

He hears you laugh and say to yourself, "What was that?"

~

** Y/N: **

"Good morning, sweetheart." Taehyung sings as he sets down a mountain of french toast and opens the blinds in your room.

"Morning." You reply, still coming out of dreamland.

"How do you sleep so long? I struggle more than anyone else to wake up, but you put even me to shame." He says, munching on a slice of toast.

"Sleep is good for the soul." You reply between bites as he feeds you. "It's okay, I can feed myself." You say, picking up a slice of your own. "Where did you learn to make this, anyway? Last time I checked you couldn't even make a decent sandwich."

"Seokjin hyung." He lies down on your lap. "Plus, it's your favourite, so I have to know how, don't I?"

"Taehyung-ah?" You ask tentatively as you run your fingers through his hair.

He opens his eyes and looks up at you, "Huh?"

"Why are you so good to me?"

"Do you really need an answer?"

You nod.

He sighs.

"Listen carefully, okay? I. Love. You. Got it?" He asks, with one eye open, flashing a finger heart. "Don't let it go to your head though. I'd still choose food over you any day."

"Aai, what will we do with you?" You ask, ruffling his hair again.

"Oh, I found this under your door." He says with a sly smile, taking a piece of paper out of his pocket. Clearing his throat, he starts reading, "'For a good time, call Jeon Jungkook' then there's a winky face next to his number." He shows the page to you, while making his eyebrows dance. "Care to explain?" He sits upright.

You blush and try to cover your face, "Ahhh! What? I think he wants to hookup so he gets experience while I get, well, you know." You explain, giggling.

"Maybe you should give him that call, then."

_Does he really want me to?_

"What? You're not opposed to the idea?" You ask, curious.

"Well, I remember you before you started dating Inho and your appetite was quite healthy. I doubt that changed after you got a boyfriend who you could do stuff with all the time. You must be so frustrated."

"Oppa!" You scold.

"What? It's true! And it isn't like Kookie's asking for a relationship, plus he's a virgin too. It's perfect. And frankly, he really needs to get rid of some of that tension he's keeping inside. Ugh, sometimes I feel sorry for Jin-hyung. The things he must suffer through." He shudders.

"What are you on about? You're supposed to tell me to make good decisions."

"It's different for us guys, okay? We get angry and even emotional, not to mention, lots of embarrassing things can happen, especially when you're sharing a room."

"Okay, you can stop there, please. Who is coming with to help move my stuff?" You ask, changing the topic.

"Will me and Namjoon-hyung be enough? You can call Jungkook and ask him to come and help too." He wiggles his eyebrows again.

"Yah!" You punch him on the arm.

"Okay. Just me and Hyung then."

~

The three of you drive up to the apartment and you open up, hoping Caitlin isn't there, but alas, life doesn't grant your wishes often. At least she looks miserable. "You're here for your things?" She asks.

"Yeah..."

"Well it took you long enough."

Out of her room, a disheveled Inho stumbles. "Y/N! Hi. Have you had enough time to think about us?"

"You're ridiculous, you know that?" You utter, angered at the sight of him.

"What? You know she's just a hookup to me. I love you."

"Yeah, well I don't love you, and I was stupid to think that I did." You look at Caitlin. "We'll be done in about an hour."

You clear out all your belongings and move all the things you won't need to a storage facility. You didn't realise just how much of the stuff in the apartment was actually yours. 

_Bloody leech!_  

After seeing the two of them together today, you feel upset and angry and... frustrated. You think about what Taetae suggested earlier, up until now, you haven’t even considered it an option.

Sitting on your bed, you feel the crumpled paper in your pocket and seriously contemplate calling.

"Jeon Jungkook..." You whisper to yourself. Your mind wanders back to the kiss, to how it felt to have someone want you, to how good it felt to be in control but still somewhat vulnerable. You’re tired of thinking, tired of being sensible, tired of making good decisions, tired of being alone.

"Fuck it."

You dial the number.


	7. I'm a real man, you know?

**Jungkook:**

"Hello?" He answers the phone sleepily.

"Jungkook?" Your small voice asks through the phone.

"Yeah? Who's speaking?"

"It's Y/N."

"Oh hi, why didn't you just come-" He cuts himself off and is immediately awake. "Oh."  _She called me._  "You're calling me?" He half states, half asks. "Like...calling me...like that note...kind of calling me?"

"Yes, the person is calling you Kook. That's why you can hear their voice on the other side of your phone." Jin answers, throwing a pillow. "If you're gonna talk, go elsewhere, huh? I need my beauty sleep."

"Give me a sec." He says into the phone as he creeps out of the room. "Uhh, actually, I'm hanging up." He ends the call feeling flustered. 

 _What should I do?_  

He goes to your room and pauses outside the door, too anxious to knock.  _Do I look okay?_ He fiddles with his hair. _Why am I being such a girl? Fuck! My palms are sweaty._  He wipes his hands on his shorts and readies himself.

~

**Y/N:**

_What a jerk. He tells me to call him if I want to hookup and even leaves a note with his number AND a winky face, then he hangs up? Uggh, I knew this was a bad idea. I need some alcohol in my life._

You get off your bed and open the door, nearly walking right into Jungkook's chest.

"Oh. What are you doing here?" You ask, looking up at him.

"Uh, I thought we should talk..." He says.

"Oh, don't worry. It was my fault for misunderstanding, I should have known it was a joke."

"What? No, it wasn't."

"Then why did you put the phone down?" You ask, annoyed.

"I panicked." He gulps.

Your eyes soften, "Oh, so then, uh, would you like to come in?" You ask, opening the door.

"Yes please."

You sit down on the bed, and the silence that follows is unbearably deafening. You look at him, he looks away. He opens his mouth and then just shuts it again. You gather up the courage to speak and just then he looks up and starts to say something. You both laugh nervously.

"Um, we should probably make like some ground rules, right?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea." You say. "Number 1: Strictly no feelings allowed. This is just a physical sort of thing."

"Right. Number 2: No judging the other person." He says.

"Number 3: It's not exclusive."

"Yeah." he adds, "So no hating or jealousy allowed. Number 4: You can't pressure the other person to go further than they want."

"Yeah...that's important. Um, was there-" A knock at the door interrupts you. "Come in!" You call.

Jimin sticks his head in by the door.

"Uh, hey..." He trails off when he sees Jungkook. “Oh, never mind. I can come back another time."

"No, Hyung, I was leaving." Jungkook says to him. To you, he says, "Thanks for the pen." and rushes out.

"Pen, huh?" Jimin asks teasingly.

"It's nothing like that, Silly." You lie. "What brings you by?"

"Oh. Uh, I hate to ask this but I have to be up early in the morning and Yoongi brought a girl over and I would go to Namjoon but he isn't alone either and there's no place by the others so I'm sleeping in the lounge but it’s really cold there...so, uh, do you have any spare bedding, please?"

"That's all? You made it sound like you were going to ask to climb in bed with me." You laugh.

"Can I? No, I'm kidding." He scratches his head, "Do you have any?"

"Yeah, sure." His eyes widen. "No, don't look at me like that. I meant about the bedding. But my couch folds out into a sleeper, why don't you just sleep here?" You offer.

"Oh no, I don't think that would be appropriate. It's okay, I can withstand the cold. I'm a real man, you know?" He says, beating his chest.

"Ppft!" You break out in laughter and get some blankets from the cupboard. "Sleep well, okay Jiminie?" You say, handing them to him and tugging his cheek.

"Yah! It's 'Oppa', not 'Jiminie'. What am I? A cricket? One day you'll see me as a man, I promise." He warns.

"Okay, I'll look forward to that day, but until then, goodnight Jiminie."

"Ugh! You'll see...anyway, thanks for the blankets, goodnight." He salutes you and walks out, closing the door behind him.

~

**Jimin:**

"Hyung," He says to Namjoon at dinner the next day. "Please get the heater in the living room fixed, I nearly died last night sleeping there."

"Hhm, okay. I'll call someone in the week." He replies.

"Oh yeah, it looks like you'll be sleeping there again tonight, 'cause that girl can't seem to get enough of me. Sorry." Yoongi says laughing.

"Fuck that. Y/N, I'm coming to sleep by you tonight."

"Do you want to die?" Taehyung asks, staring down his nose at him.

"Oppa, relax. I'm the one who said Jiminie can sleep in my room. He'll be on the sleeper couch, don't worry." You defend.

"Oppa? You know that he is the same age as me right?" Jimin asks you, to which you just laugh.

"So, I am older than her, why can't she call me Oppa?" Taehyung asks.

"Ugh, never mind. How is it you never understand anything?" Jimin mumbles.

He shrugs Jimin off. "Oh well. Let's all watch a movie tonight? Since it’s the weekend?"

"We can't. We have to practice, remember we're going to the studio?" Jimin reminds him.

"We can watch when we come back." He suggests.

"If we're still capable of doing anything besides sleeping after we come back then we didn't practice enough."

"What are you? The practice police?" Taehyung rolls his eyes. 

"Someone has to be, now eat up so we can leave."

~

**Y/N:**

After supper, Namjoon, Hoseok, Seokjin and Yoongi go clubbing together, Taehyung and Jimin go off to college, and Jungkook goes to the mall, leaving you at home by yourself. You take a shower, spend some time flipping through the TV channels while doing your nails, and then when you try reading a book, you get a text.

 _ **Can I come see you in a bit?**_ -Jungkook

 _ **Yeah, sure.**_  You respond.

_**Okay, I'll be home in a few. I got some snacks and drinks. Is there anything you want?** _

_**Just you.**_ You read the message you just sent.  _Fuck! Auto correct is a bitch, a really, really dumb bitch._

 _ **That was supposed to be 'just soju'.**_  You text back quickly.

_**O f course it was ;)** _

_Ahhhh! How does he do that?_ You think to yourself, his constant switch between cute and cocky reminding you of your first love.


	8. It's probably nothing.

**Y/N:**

"Hey, I'm back." Jungkook says as he comes inside and puts the snacks in the kitchen.

You sit down on one of the bar stools and watch him unpack. 

_He really is beautiful. From his hair to his eyes, to his jawline and his lips...and his arms, gosh, his arms are amazing._

"Why are you staring at me?" He asks self-consciously.

"Because you're beautiful."

"Whoa..." He looks up at you, "Did you start drinking without me? How come you're so straight forward tonight? First you say you want me, then you tell me I'm beautiful."

"Hey! That was Autocorrect, not me. And you are beautiful, am I not allowed to say that?"

"You should rather say that I'm handsome then. Beautiful is so strange to say to a guy."

"Yeah, but anybody can be handsome. Did you get the soju?"

"Uh, no. I got wine."

"What? Why?"

"Don't girls prefer wine?" He asks, then looks down, adding, "Plus, I thought it would suit tonight's atmosphere better."

_So this is happening then?_

"Oh, I guess so." That awkward silence starts creeping in again. "Shall I look for a movie so long?"

"Oh, yeah. Choose whatever you like, I'll prepare the stuff in the meantime."

You choose a new action film you haven't seen yet and he brings over the wine and popcorn. Seeing your movie choice, he sighs, "I really did mean you could choose what you wanted."

"I did. I love action movies. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm into all that rom-com crap."

He sits down. "Oh, of course not. Sorry for assuming."

"You apologise a lot, you know?"

"Right, sorry." You look at him as if to say  _'Really, nigga?'_ and laugh, offering him some of the blanket you’re wrapped up in. He accepts it and takes a gulp of his wine.

You make it through about thirty minutes of the movie when he starts falling asleep. "Jungkookah." You nudge him, "Kookie..."

He opens his eyes, "Oh, did I doze off? What's the time?"

"It's not even ten yet, do you want to go to bed?"

"No, no. I think it's just the wine making me sleepy."

"You just need to drink more. After you drink enough, you start getting lively again."

"Oh, okay. We'll probably need the other bottle then, huh?"

"Yeah, I'll go fetch it, I need to wake myself up too."

After a few more glasses, you’re no longer paying any attention to the movie. Instead, Jungkook is telling you the story of his first love and explains how he tried to confess to her with a dance and song. He then starts demonstrating and you can't help but laugh at how cute the whole thing is.

"Then I pulled a flower out of my jacket and gave it to her," He says, imitating the action, giving you an imaginary flower. He moves a strand of hair out of your face and then continues, loosely draping his arms over your shoulders as he stands in front of you, "...but she didn't accept it. Ahh, I was so heartbroken."

"Aai, what a silly girl." You say taking his face in your hands. "Do you need a hug?" He nods and wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you close as you put your arms around his neck.

"You always smell so nice." He says, still hugging you. "Even now when we're drinking, you still smell nice." He pulls back, just enough to look at you and runs his thumb over your lips. You look at him and he pulls you closer, leaning in, waiting for you to bridge the gap. You stand on your toes and lean into him, kissing him. This time he doesn't hesitate. He eagerly kisses you back, one hand in your hair, the other moving downward to grip your hip. You pull yourself closer against him and deepen the kiss, allowing him to pick you up and carry you over to the couch while you move your lips down to suck at his neck.

He lays you down and climbs on top of you, finding your mouth again. He moans as you start grinding against him and he pulls your legs tighter around him. You kiss him harder, more urgently and he moves against you, his one hand creeping up underneath your shirt. He starts kissing at your neck, giving you the chance to catch your breath as he pants, "Fucking...hell...we should do this more...often." You say nothing but laugh and pull him back up to your lips.

~

You lay in bed later that night, your heart still pounding at the memory of what had just happened. 

_He was really good. Not just for someone who had only been kissed once, but just in general. He must be a fast learner. A really, really fast learner._

You’re distracted from your thoughts by your phone which buzzes. It's Jungkook.

**_Are you asleep?_ **

**_Not yet. Want me to come over?_** You text back.

**_Yeah, nobody is back yet anyway._ **

You go over to his room and he picks you up in the doorway, kissing you as he closes the door with his foot.

"What was that about?" You ask, sitting on top of him after making out for a while.

"I just wanted to kiss you when I was sober so next time we don't have to drink first before we feel comfortable enough to do so."

"You do realise you're not sober yet, right?"

"Of course I am. I'm super sober."

"Yeah, you just proved my point." You laugh at him. "People who are sober would never refer to themselves as being 'super sober'."

"Well you're not sober either. You're laughing way too much."

~

**Jimin :**

When he gets back home after practice, he’s dead tired and collapses on his bed. He then remembers that Yoongi will be bringing a girl back so he drags himself out of bed and heads to your room. You aren't there but he figures you just went to the bathroom or something since your bed is unmade. He tries to unfold the couch but can't seem to get it right, so he sits down on your bed in defeat. 

_Ugh, I'll just wait 'til she comes back._

~

** Y/N: **

"Did you hear something?" You ask Jungkook, breaking off the kiss.

"It's probably nothing." He leans in again.

You pull away and he moves to your neck. "Don't you think this is a bit risky? They could come home at any minute."

"But I don't want to stop..." He mumbles against you.

"We can do this again tomorrow, okay?"

He lies back, resting on his elbows. "Ahh, okay, but you better keep your promise."

"Only if you don't act all awkward." You reply, climbing off him and heading for the door.

You go back to your own room and as soon as your head hits the pillow, you’re gone.


	9. One kiss.

** Y/N: **

As you come out of your sleep, you snuggle closer to the strong arms you're nestled in. He moves one hand down your back and pulls you to him, his morning wood pressing against your inner thigh.

You lightly grind your body against his and then, realising this may not be a dream, you look up to see who you're entangled with.  _Oh, it’s Jimin. Wait. It's Jimin._ "Park Jimin!" You scream, hitting him awake with a pillow. 

Shocked, he sits up and covers his bare chest. "Why are you in my bed?" He asks with eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"Your bed? This is my room." 

He looks around him and the reality sets in. "This is all your fault! You were supposed to help me with the sleeper, where were you?"

_He cannot find out._  You flip your hair. "That's not important; even if you were..." His eyes widen, causing you to trail off. "What are you looking at?"

He turns your head to the side. "Omo! What were you doing last night?"

"Huh?" You realise that Jungkook must have left a mark on you and ask nonchalantly, "Is there something on my neck? Maybe a bug bit me or it’s just an allergic reaction to something?"

"Ohh, you know it looks similar to the bite one could get from, uhh, what was it called again?" He scratches his head.

"A flea?" He shakes his head. "A mosquito?" You offer again.

"No, that's not the one. I haven't seen its bite in person before, so I forget what it’s called."

"Oh, well I'll just go to the pharmacy and get something for it." You reply, thankful that he believed you.

"Ahh! I remember now...I think that thing that bit you is called a 'Jeon Jungkookie' is it not?"

"Pfft! No. Why would you even say that?" You quickly reply, unable to meet his eyes. 

He rolls over, nearly falling off the bed unable to control his laughter, "I'm right, aren't I?" He asks once he regains some composure. "We left you two alone for a few hours...Gosh, it looks like he had a field day with your neck." He reaches for your chin and you slap his hand away.

"So what? We were drunk. It's not like we're together or anything. Besides, you won't tell anyway."

"Ha! You think I won't tell? Sorry to disappoint but we're not that close, sweetheart."

"I don't know, I think we might be, considering that I could just tell everyone that you did this to me in my sleep after climbing into my bed half naked."

"No way...You wouldn't..."

"Try me."

"Argh! Why are you so difficult?" He jumps up and starts pacing up and down, looking for his shirt. "Okay, fine. I won't tell, but then you can't tell them about this at all, okay? I slept on the sleeper couch."

"That's fine by me, but you have to do me a favour."

He eyes you suspiciously. "What is it?"

"Just make sure Kookie..." You say timidly, gesturing at your neck.

He roars with laughter, but agrees to do it, saying, "Just put some makeup on that shit and wear a scarf, please. My life and more importantly, my reputation is at stake here."

~

"Ahh, last night was amazing." Namjoon says over lunch. "The girls, the drinks, the music. You guys should have been there."

"What did you end up doing with your time anyway?" Hoseok asks you and Jungkook.

"Oh, just this and that. I did my nails, watched some TV, drank some wine, read a book. That sort of thing." You answer coolly. Jimin chuckles to himself and nearly chokes on his food. 

_Serves him right._

"I went to the mall and then fell asleep." Jungkook says.

"Ahh, now I feel bad for having a good time last night." Hoseok mumbles. "Next week we'll go again, all of us, okay?"

~

After lunch, you and Jungkook wash the dishes. While you're washing up, he comes up behind you and starts kissing the back of your neck. "Kookie, no..."

"But you promised." He whispers, nibbling at your ear.

"Not here all out in the open. Come to my room a bit later." You say, turning to face him.

"Everyone is doing their own thing. They won't come here." He tries to convince you, placing your arms around his neck. "Just one kiss..."

You try to protest, "Jungkookah..." He leans in and pecks you.

"One kiss." He repeats. Just then, one of the room doors open and in a split second, he's standing at the other end of the kitchen, dish towel in hand.

"Hey Hyung." He greets Taehyung who walks past. He pauses and looks back and forth between you and Jungkook.

"You called him?" He asks you. Jungkook's eyebrows shoot up.

"Hyung, what are you talking about?" He asks nervously.

"Ahhh, I thought the mood was a bit weird when the two of you walked in." Taehyung says to you, shaking his head. "Anyway, if you guys are gonna sneak around, at least try not to get caught, okay?"

"You told him?" Jungkook asks you.

"Well he's the one who found that note you left under my door and told me to go for it."

"Yeah, so really, you owe me." Tae says to him, sticking his tongue out.

"Room. Now." Jungkook says to you, throwing the dishtowel down and walking ahead. When you don't follow, he grabs your hand and leads you to the room.

~

** Jungkook: **

_How could she be so irresponsible?_

"I can't believe you told him!" He explodes angrily, standing just inside the doorway of your room. "And why does Jimin know? He can't even keep a secret...I haven't told a single person. Am I the only one who thought this was supposed to be between the two of us?"

"Why are you even angry about this?” You ask, annoyed. “And I’m sorry, but if anything, be pissed off at yourself, I mean, you're the one who left that note under my door for anyone to see and it’s not like I meant for Jimin to find out, he slept here and saw the marks _you_ left on _my_ neck, plus he thinks it was only a one-time thing." You respond, laying down on your bed with your back to him.

Realising that he’s partly responsible and feeling stupid for blowing up, he climbs on top of you, rolling you over to face him. "I overreacted, forgive me?" He asks with his head cocked to the side, puppy dog eyes on.

"Look, we agreed to be considerate of each other and I'm not in the mood right now." You turn your head away, putting some distance between you. "Don't be so cocky. You can't embarrass me in front of my best friend and then flip a switch and just expect me to play along.” He looks genuinely regretful, so you give him an in, adding, “The only time you get to tell me what to do is when we're hooking up, okay?”

“I get to tell you what to do?” He asks excitedly, wiggling his eyebrows.

“I understand it’s all new and confusing, so I’ll forgive you for being a dick this time, but please don’t do things like that again. Especially not in front of Taehyung. Now get off, you’re hurting me.”

“But how am I supposed to kiss you then?” You glare at him and he quickly rolls off. “Just kidding, but if they find out… it won’t be so thrilling anymore.”

“Thrilling?” You smirk.

“Yeah, sneaking around is half the fun, don’t you think?”

You smile at him and chuckle.

He turns to face you and asks, “Can I ask you a personal question? As a friend?”

“We’re friends?” You joke.

“Well, I thought so…”

You shrug and signal for him to ask his question.

“You said you’ve only been in love twice, right? So…the second one is Inho, but the first…Can you tell me about him?”

“Why?” You eye him sceptically.

“Just to get a feel for how you go about things, I guess?” He half-asks.

“What do you want to know?” You ask, turning on your side to look at him.

“Just, you know, what he was like…how long you dated…” He smiles awkwardly, “…How far you guys went…”

You laugh, realising what he really wants to know, “Mmh, where do I start? He was sweet I guess. We were each other’s first kiss, first everything except for sex basically…but we never defined our relationship, so you know when I did the three month student exchange program last year?” He nods. “Well, while I was gone he fell in love with someone else. Ha! I can’t believe I turned down hot European guys for him, even though I knew he didn’t like me as much as I liked him.”

_She’s done everything?_

“Oh wow…so wait, this was last year? So, you also had your first kiss in university?”

You shake your head, “No, we were together in high school already but he never asked to be anything more and I was afraid that if I asked to be in a proper relationship he would break things off. Anyway, I won’t be making that mistake again, I’m done giving more love than what I receive.”

“Ahh…our relationship is perfect then. No love at all.” He chuckles and then it gets awkwardly quiet, “You’re not bored though, right?” He asks.

“Huh?”

“Well, you’ve done all sorts of things. It’s a bit embarrassing. I know we’re not exclusive but I still feel bad.”

“No, don’t think of it like that.” You sit up and try to assure him, “I don’t mind going at whatever pace you want to, if you’re ready for more, then we can do more but take your time if you need to. I don’t want you to regret not doing so, like me.”

He sighs, “I feel even worse now about earlier… I just don’t want the others in our business, it’s the first time I’m doing something like this and I… I didn’t know what you expected of me and if they know, then there’s just so much more pressure.”

You roll your eyes, “I know, it’s why I let you off the hook so quickly. I don’t want them to know either, so let’s just be careful from now on, okay?”

“Okay, so I guess we won’t get to be together on Friday at the club?”

“I’m sure we can sneak some moments in somewhere, if not then I’m sure you can just snag some other hot chick.” You say, giggling.

“Are you saying you’re hot then?”

“Are you saying I’m not?”

“Nope, you’re not.” You gasp at his harsh words. “Anybody can be hot, you’re beautiful.” He remarks, saving himself.

“Aye, that’s my line!” You scold, punching his arm.

“Ahh! That was sore, kiss it better!”

You smirk but peck his arm lightly, “Better?” You ask.

“No, it’s still sore here.” He replies, pointing to a spot higher up. You kiss it and he points at his mouth, pouting, “Here too.” You laugh, and oblige, giving him his way.


	10. I'm dying of thirst.

** Y/N: **

It’s finally Friday and you stand in the shower, letting the water run over you, trying to wash away all the memories with Inho that keep resurfacing.

_“Happy 100 th day, sweetheart!” Inho exclaims, barely visible behind the giant stuffed teddy and bouquet of roses he’s holding out for you as you leave the house._

_“What’s all this?” You ask, completely in awe._

_“It’s our 100 th day. Did you forget?”_

_“Well, we said we weren’t going to do these cheesy things. Argh, now I feel so bad.” You complain, cheeks aflame. You take the ginormous bear from him and ask how you can make it up to him._

_“Spend the day with me.” He replies._

_“I was already going to do that, though.”_

_“Mmh…then 100 kisses. I want 100 kisses today. Proper ones.”_

_“One hundred? Gosh, will we even have mouths left tomorrow?”_

_“There’s only one way to find out.” He smiles slyly and leans in for the first one._

The shower door opens wildly, jolting you from your thoughts and you yelp, immediately covering your essential parts.

“Come on, why are you taking so long? We want to start drinking.” Taehyung whines.

“Dude!”

“What? It’s not like it’s the first time I’m seeing you naked. Switch the water off.” He says. You take your time, ignoring him as you stand exposed under the water while he watches you. After making him wait, you turn off the shower and step out. He whips a bath sheet open, saying, “I see you still forget to bring a towel out. Old habits die hard, huh?” Wrapping you in it, he adds softly, “You look really good these days, I guess singlehood suits you.”

You smile and spin around in the towel, and joke, “I know, right?”

He chuckles and asks, “What are you gonna wear?”

“Are you planning on dressing me too?”

He smirks, “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Maybe next time. Now hurry up, I need a drink.”

As soon as he leaves, you do your make up and hurry to get dressed, picking out a short, fitted black skirt and burgundy chiffon tank top. Tonight you’re not playing; after all, it’s the first time you’re going out since the breakup.

~

** Jungkook: **

The boys are about to toast to another drink when you step into the living room, heels in hand and everyone pauses, glasses frozen in mid-air.

“Aeh! Who said you’re allowed to come out looking so hot?” Seokjin scolds playfully, knitting his eyebrows together with his eyes round saucers. “Do you know how much work you’re giving us?”

“Yah…we’re going to have such a hard time keeping the girls from attacking you when their boyfriends stray.” Hoseok adds, laughing.

Jungkook just stares at you, his mouth agape. _Her top is almost see-through. I can see her bra if I really focus. Maybe if I squint? Dang…How am I supposed to keep my hands off her tonight? Maybe we should just tell everyone we’re hooking up._ Namjoon knocks him on the head with a spoon, “Try not to drool, won’t you? And fix your eyes, doing that is not gonna help you see her bra.” He snaps to attention and apologises, looking into his drink.

“You’re not even gonna try to deny it?” Jimin asks, laughing at him. You sit down next to Taehyung who has already finished his drink and starts downing a beer. “Yo Tae, slow down, save some for the rest of us, huh?”

“Leave me, I’m dying of thirst.” _Well, you’re not the only one…How am I supposed to survive this?_

~

** Y/N: **

At the club, you meet the girls Yoongi and Namjoon have over almost every day for the first time. They’re quite different from what you expect, being both nicer and sweeter than your imagination allowed. That could just be because you had quite a bit to drink beforehand, but either way, they seem quite okay and pull you on to the dance floor, encouraging you to dance with them.

“Do you have a thing going on with any of them?” Suran, Yoongi’s girl asks you. “Because the cute one can’t take his eyes off you.” She finishes nodding in Jungkook’s direction, he looks away and you laugh, saying, “He is cute, isn’t he?”

After a few more shots, Jungkook heads over to you and pulls you flush against his body, wasting no time, his hands roaming and hips rolling in perfect time to the beat. “Are you trying to taunt me?” He asks breathily. You smirk and draw him closer, draping your arms around his neck, foreheads touching and your eyes locked with his as the two of you grind at your own pace, the music forgotten.

Just as he’s about to kiss you, Seokjin’s hand appears between your faces and he says, “Ho, ho, ho! Remember you two still have to live in the same house tomorrow.” Then to Jungkook he adds, “Why don’t you buy a drink for your hyung, huh?” Jungkook just looks at him, his face expressionless but then he smiles helplessly and agrees, being half dragged off to the bar, leaving you to dance on your own. You go over to the lounge area and do shots with Hoseok and Taehyung.

“Well, damn, you sure know how to sex on the dancefloor!” Hoseok exclaims, pouring another.

“Oh come on, we were just dancing.”

“No, what Namjoon is doing is…uh, actually, I don’t know what that is…what everyone else is doing is dancing…that was some next level shit.”

“We used to dance like that.” Taehyung says.

“You’re weird, you don’t count.” Hoseok says, patting him on the shoulder. The two of them then enter into a debate about who is weirder and you wander off, finding yourself dancing alone amidst the mass of people.

 

** Jungkook: **

At the bar, Jungkook orders two beers and as soon as he pays, he tries to head off in your direction only to be pulled back by Seokjin. With one hand on Jungkook’s shoulder he says, “Just appreciate her efforts from here. I know you really like her, but you don’t want to be her rebound. Trust me.”

“I don’t like her, I just want to dance with her.” At that Seokjin scoffs. “Okay, maybe I want to do more than just dance, but who cares? It’s just a bit of –Oh! Yah! Choi Inho!” Jungkook exclaims.

Jungkook shoots off toward you without a second’s hesitation, and this time Seokjin doesn’t try to stop him, hoping he reaches you before Inho does.

 

** Y/N: **

You notice Jungkook heading toward you and while pretending not to notice him, your face drops as you turn to find Inho standing before you.

“What are you doing here?” He asks over the music.

“What does that matter to you?” You return defensively.

“I miss you. You haven’t moved on, right?” His words hit you hard, your heart feeling like it’d just been squeezed.

“Oppa…” You find yourself saying and almost immediately, scream at yourself for being so weak around him. He takes a step toward you but, scared of what you might do if he gets close enough, you back away right into a guy’s chest.

Suddenly you feel arms wrapping themselves around your waist and a familiar mouth at your neck. _Thank goodness._ Relieved, you lean back against Jungkook’s body, intertwining your fingers with his. You turn your head to face him and smile, he returns the smile and gently brushes his lips over yours.

“Miss me, babe?” He asks. He casts his eyes in Inho’s direction and fakes excitement, extending one hand, the other still clutching your waist, “Sunbae? Wow, I didn’t think I’d run into you here. I see you’ve met my girlfriend? She’s pretty, huh?” He asks, smiling brightly.

“Jeon Jungkook? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Well, we started dating recently. Ahh, I’m so happy she’s in my life. Anyway, we’d love to stay and chat but there’s something urgent we need to take care of in private. See you on Monday!” He winks, clutches you tightly against him and zips around, heading off the dancefloor.

“Yah! I’m not finished! Come back!” You faintly here Inho calling in the background.

Jungkook weaves quickly through the crowd, losing Inho, leading you to the balcony upstairs. “Are you okay?” He asks once outside. “I’m sorry for butting in but you looked like you were faltering a bit and I kn-”

You hug him tightly and sigh, whispering, “Thank you. Really, if you didn’t come when you did…just, thank you for coming.”

He smiles down at you when you break off the hug, “Do you wanna get out of here?” He asks. Upon seeing your shocked expression, he quickly adds, “Not to do anything, I just thought you might not be up for partying anymore and I can’t let you leave alone.”

While he explains himself, you move closer to him again, your hand curling around his belt buckle and ask in a husky voice, “What if I want to do things though?”

He gulps and his eyebrows disappear somewhere behind the threshold of his hair. “Well…in that case…” He tugs at his collar, “Should we just leave now?” He asks, laughing, gesturing the way out with his arms, like an usher.

~


	11. Saranghae

** Y/N: **

Without a word to anyone, the two of you flee the club and catch a taxi. As Jungkook sits next to you, you notice his knee bouncing up and down and place your hand on it. Gradually, his smile falters as you draw patterns on his thigh, moving slowly upward and you crack up when he nearly chokes on air and grabs your hand, preventing it from going any higher.

“Gosh, it’s so weird when you initiate shit.” He says with a grin, shaking his head.

“You don’t like it?” You ask, withdrawing your hand.

He instantly tightens his grip on your hand, placing it back on his thigh, “I didn’t say that. But I never get to turn you on first.”

“That really turned you on?”

He ignores your question and looks out the window, saying, “Can’t this taxi go any faster?”

The driver clears his throat loudly and mumbles something about young people under his breath.

You giggle and go back to drawing your patterns.

~

As soon as the taxi drives off, Jungkook picks you up and throws you over his shoulder fireman style and runs up to the front door, ignoring your protests, spanking you lightly and whispering, “Be quiet!”

He swiftly unlocks the door and immediately wriggles his Tim’s off his feet upon entering. You hear faint moaning coming from inside and poke Jungkook in the side, whispering “Kookie, I don’t think we’re alone.” He puts you down softly and you take off your heels, the both of you moving through the house as quietly as possible. As you tip toe through the passageway to get to your room, the groaning gets louder, the voice sounding like it could belong to Hoseok.

“Yoongi…” He coos.

At that, the two of you stop dead in your tracks, completely dumbstruck.

“Mmh?” Comes a low response.

“Saranghae.”

The only reply is Yoongi’s unmistakeable chuckle.

“Wahh…you’re not even going to say it back?”

“I’m already on my knees, does that not say enough?” Yoongi responds and then reluctantly adds, “I love you too, now stop talking.”

At that, Jungkook’s face contorts into some expression you’ve never seen before so you take him by the arm, quietly leaving the house before they realise they’re not alone and head off to a nearby park.

“What the fuck did we just walk into?” Jungkook asks, laughing in disbelief.

“I don’t even know, but no matter what, we can’t let them know that we know.” You say, sitting down on one of the swings and he stands in front of you, his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah, I know. But, I didn’t even know they swung that way…Hoseok even had a serious girlfriend a few months back and what about Suran? She’s been over almost every night.” Jungkook questions.

“Maybe the girls were just beards? Regardless, my mind has officially been blown.” You reply.

“Well one thing’s for sure, we can’t go back home now. You wanna get something to eat?” He asks, holding out his hands to help you up. You nod and he lifts you, saying, “Of all the things I imagined happening tonight, I could never have guessed this.”

“What type of things did you imagine?” You ask, your curiosity peaked.

“I’ll show you later.” He responds with a smirk.

The two of you walk up to the convenience store and buy some beer and ramyun then go back and sit facing each other on a park bench.

Looking you over, he clucks his tongue and scolds, “Why didn’t you say you were cold?”

“Because I’m not.”

“Look at your arms, you’ve got goosebumps.” He complains, taking off his jacket and throwing it at you. “Just put that on, okay?”

“What about you?” You ask, holding his jacket out for him to take back.

“The beer will warm me up. Take the jacket and eat your noodles before they bloat.”

“You’re such a guy.” You remark, rolling your eyes but putting the jacket on.

After eating, you talk for about an hour before you put the dishes aside and move closer to him, sitting almost between his legs. “What do you want?” He asks, eyeing you, aware of your sudden proximity.

“I want to warm you up, because from the looks of it, the beer did a pretty shoddy job.” You say, taking the empty beer can from him.

“You do know we’re in a park, right?”

“So? Do you know anyone who’d let their child play this late at night?” You ask, trying to persuade him.

“Are we including those creepy kids from horror movies?” He inquires, to which you just roll your eyes, “I’ll take that as a no.” He smartly answers his own question while looking around and notes, “Well it is pretty late and we are alone…” He pulls you closer to him, wrapping your legs around his torso and whispers, looking at your lips, “Can we?”

“I don’t see why not.” You coax, leaning in.

He kisses you softly at first, tentatively slipping one hand under your skirt, the kiss slowly becoming more aggressive. “Mmh, I feel warmer already.” He jokes, playfully biting your lip. Out of nowhere, both his phone and yours start vibrating, giving him a fright, causing him to bite down hard on your lower lip.

“Ahh!” You shriek.

“Shit! Fuck! Ahh, shit! Are you okay?” He sputters. You wave him off and hold your phone up, telling him to answer his.

“Ugh, Jin-hyung, you have the worst timing! What do you want?” Jungkook answers angrily while inspecting your lips and mouthing his apologies again.

You answer your own phone, your mouth still throbbing, “Taetae?”

“Oh thank goodness you answered. Where are you?”

“At the park with Jungkook." You answer and he sighs heavily so you explain, "We ran into Inho at the club and I couldn’t deal, so we went to get some air.”

“Why didn’t you come tell me?” He asks. “I was so worried when Seokjin told me he saw Inho. Anyway, you can tell me all about it at home, we’re driving back now.”

“No no, you can’t go home!” You say, with more urgency than you intended. “Why don’t you guys come hang out with us for a bit?”

“Why? It’s so cold.”

“Well, we bought a bunch of beer and soju, so I just thought you guys could help us finish it. Please come? Jungkook is a bit drunk.”

“Oh, uh, okay, we’ll be there now. Did he hurt you?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I just can’t walk back with all the alcohol and him in this state.” You lie.

As soon as you put the phone down, you force Jungkook to down the last two beers and the moment he finishes it, you grab him and run off to buy more alcohol before they arrive. Your timing is perfect as the three boys come jogging up to you just after Kookie finished another two beers.

“Y/N!” Jimin shouts, outrunning Seokjin and Taehyung, falling on his knees in front of you, “Y/N, you’re safe! Wah! We were looking everywhere.”

“Here, have a beer.” You offer him, “Why didn’t you just call?”

“Well we were drunk, duh! Ah, I’m so thirsty.” He says, gulping the beer down.

“Were drunk?”

“Are drunk.” He admits, looking over at Jungkook. “Are we interrupting your date?” He whispers loudly.

“No, we asked you to come here, remember?” You whisper back, equally loudly.

“What date?” Seokjin asks, looking from Jungkook to you. “What happened to your lip?” He asks, suspicious.

“Nonono, noooo date. Only air.” Jungkook explains between hiccups, making an X shape with his arms.

“Then why were you so angry on the phone?” Jin retorts.

“Mouth was sad.” Jungkook answers, pouting while pointing at his lips. 

“You’re not making any sense.” Seokjin responds, working himself up. “Why are you so drunk?”

“I…am not. Not drunk.” He responds, taking another swig of beer and raising his chin proudly.

“What do you mean, ‘Not drunk’?” Jin argues, trying to take the beer away from him.

Jungkook manages to evade him and the two of them continue their bickering, with Jimin joining in, Jin the only one with his wits about him.

You walk over to Tae who’s being awfully quiet. “How was your night?” You ask, elbowing him in the side.

“Great, until I realised you were gone. Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to leave?”

“It was a spontaneous decision, plus how were we supposed to explain to everyone that we wanted to leave alone?”

“Oh, so you left to get some? Is that why your lip is busted?” He laughs, nudging you. “And here I was worried you might have done something crazy or went off with a random guy.”

“If Jungkook wasn’t there I would probably have done something worse.” You admit, walking over to the swings with him. “Even though I hate his guts, I almost went back to him, Tae. I was so weak in front of him. How pathetic can I get?”

“You’re not pathetic, it’s only been like, what? A month since you broke up? You need to give yourself time to heal, just as long as you don’t actually go back to him, everything will be fine.” He says, rubbing your back and stealing a swig of your beer.

“Yah!” Jimin shouts, unsteadily making his way over to the swings. “How could you just leave me with those idiots?” He asks, pointing in the direction of Jin and Jungkook. “I also want to swing.” He mopes, sitting on your lap.

“Ahh, dude, no offense but you’re heavy. The swing might break.” You comment.

Outraged, he immediately jumps up. “Are you calling me fat?” He asks. “I’ll have you know; my body is gorgeous. Just look!” He exclaims, ripping his shirt open with a roar, exposing his glorious torso and flexing as many of his muscles as he possibly can.

You laugh at his wild expression and get up, gesturing for him to take the swing, “Why did you have to break the buttons? Now you’re going to get cold.” You scold, wrapping him up in Jungkook’s jacket.

“I can’t help it, I’m like Hulk!” He boasts with another roar, smiling gratefully at you as you button the jacket up.

You laugh and sit down on Taehyung’s lap who wraps his arms around you, resting his chin on your shoulder while Jungkook and Seokjin walk over.

“Where’s Namjoon?” You ask, realising for the first time that he didn’t arrive with the bunch.

“At his girlfriend’s place for a change.” Seokjin answers.

“Girlfriend?”

“Yeah, they’re official now. Gosh, hearing that news must have been the cherry on top for Suran.” He continues.

“What do you mean?” Jungkook asks.

“You guys missed everything. Well, I don’t know if he likes her or something, but Hoseok and Yoongi were talking and Suran came over to them and kissed Yoongi. Then for some reason Hobi got angry and left and Yoongi told her that they should stop seeing each other. After that, he split too and she turned into a blabbering mess so we had to find one of her friends so we could send her home.” Seokjin explains.

“Wow…” You and Jungkook utter in unison.

“Yeah…it seems shit just came from all directions and hit the fan sideways today.” Taehyung says in the silence that follows. He taps your leg and says, “We should probably start making our way home and make sure everything’s okay.”

“I think we should give them some time to sort things out between themselves. We can always suss out the vibe tomorrow.” You suggest. “But we should get going, the sun is probably waiting for us to leave so it can come out.”

Jimin giggles raucously, falling off the swing. “The sun doesn’t work like that, silly! Wah, you’re so cute it makes my heart ache sometimes.” He says, shooting you finger hearts from his new place on the ground.

~

** Y/N: **

When you arrive at the house, it’s dead silent and you enter quietly, whispering your ‘good night’s’ to everyone. Seokjin drags Jungkook off to their room, Jimin stumbles into his own and Taehyung follows you to your room. Standing at the foot of your bed in his briefs, he complains, after watching you as you collapse on the bed still fully clothed, “Yah…you should change into pyjamas or something.”

“Ugh, do I have to?” You ask, rolling on to your back to look at him. He just nods.

“You better thank your lucky stars that you’re one of my favourite people.” You respond, groaning as you unwillingly sit up to remove your top and skirt. “Happy?” You ask after undressing.

“Hm.” He answers, kissing your shoulder after climbing in behind you and draping his arms loosely over you. “I’ve missed this.” He utters, snuggling closer to you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to anyone who hates shipping, but Yoonseok is just too precious for my heart...


	12. You're playing dirty.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!  
> Things get kinda 'heated' here *cough-smut-cough*.  
> But just a little.   
> Don't hate me, lol.

** Y/N: **

The next day you wake up underneath Taehyung and try to climb out from under him without disturbing him too much. You soon realise your efforts are useless and decide to wake him up instead. “Taehyung-ah…” You whisper, stroking his hair.

“Mmh?” He responds faintly.

“I’m trapped.” You say, trying to conserve your breath.

He sleepily shifts his weight off you, but keeps you pinned down with one arm and when you try to move it, he throws his leg over you too. “Where are you trying to go?” He mumbles at your neck.

“You know it’s almost afternoon, right?” You answer.

“Can’t we just stay like this a while longer?” He asks, drawing you closer. “I’m not ready to get up yet.”

“Fine, but we should get up soon.” You permit, rolling him over so you can rest your head on his shoulder.

~

** Hoseok: **

Yoongi walks into the kitchen and smiles, watching Hoseok fix himself breakfast.

“Where’s mine?” He asks, coming up behind him and wrapping his arms around him.

Hoseok leans against him for a second before swatting him away. “Someone might see. Go sit down while I make more. Here, you can have mine so long.” He says, dishing the omelette for Yoongi.

“I want to stay like this.” Yoongi stubbornly responds, tightening his arms around his waist.

Hoseok sighs loudly, pretending to be annoyed. “Loosen your grip a bit, I can hardly move.”

Happy to have gotten his way, Yoongi chuckles and reaches up to kiss his cheek. “I plan on staying stuck to you all day, so you better get used to this.”

~

** Jungkook: **

The day is quiet and passes relatively quickly, everyone trying to recover from their hangovers in solitude.

“Knock, knock.” Jungkook says, opening the door to your room.

“Come in.” You call, waving him inside.

He dives on to your bed, “How are you? Your lip is still busted, huh?” He asks, wriggling over to examine your lips. “Should I kiss it better?”

“I think you’ll just end up making it worse, what if something gives you a fright again?” You reply with a pout, looking up from the book you’re reading.

He looks dejected but crawls closer, wrapping your legs around him as he tries to fit his head through the gap made by your arms and the book. You let his head through but continue reading.

“Yah, is that book more interesting than me?” He asks, kissing your neck.

“Mm.” You answer.

He bites you hard and dramatically says, “Oops, I must have gotten another fright.” You don’t respond and he sighs, lifting his head to look at you, “Can’t we play a little bit?”

“Mmh…Okay, you wanna play a game?” You ask, “What about a game where you kiss and I read.” You laugh sadistically.

“We’ve been doing that…” He whines. You shrug and he sighs again, “Ugh, fine…but if I can make you stop reading then you have to grant me a wish. And you have to read out loud, okay?” He asks, extending his pinky for you to promise.

You lock pinkies with him, “You’re going to get so bored.”

“Pfft! I think you’re forgetting that I have your whole body to entertain me.” He says with a smirk.

“Even if I don’t respond?” You ask.

“Good luck with that.” He scoffs, taking his shirt off. “Okay, on the count of three. One, two, three. Go.” He whispers, his lips already at your neck.

_You better be ready to lose your shit, honey._

With him being relatively passive for the first five minutes or so, you have no problem reading aloud, basically ignoring his tame kisses. However, it’s not much longer before he starts getting into himself, sloppily kissing you, his tongue greeting your collarbones as he starts unbuttoning your blouse and you feel his building excitement as he wraps your legs tighter against him and begins moving against you. That’s when it becomes difficult to concentrate as he starts kissing what he can of your breasts, and then arches your back, lifting you to suck at your stomach and he cheekily bites you. He chuckles as you stutter when he moves closer to your nether regions and unbuttons your jeans while grazing the flesh just above your panties with his teeth. You whine as his mouth starts making its way back up to your neck, to which he mumbles, “Go back to your reading.” He then pulls your pants all the way off and trails his fingers along your leg, from your ankle to your calf, up to your thigh and traces the outline of your underwear before casually slipping his hand beneath it, cupping you.

“Jeon Jungkook.” You say, taken aback, “You’re playing dirty.”

“I told you I was going to play with your whole body.” He states matter-of-factly, as he slowly works his thumb. He rolls over with you and sits up, pulling you on top of him. “I win. You stopped reading. Focus on me now.” He commands, looking you dead in the eye while stroking you before suddenly kissing you on the mouth, simultaneously inserting one of his fingers between your folds. You moan, not expecting it and he grabs the book with one hand, chucking it aside. You wrap your arms around his neck, close your eyes and give in to him, moving against his hand as he adds another of his fingers. “Take off your bra.” He orders and you oblige, fumbling with the clasp in a hurry to get it off. He gasps as your breasts spill free and instantly bends his head to taste them. You raise yourself up for him to take them in his mouth and whimper as his hot mouth sucks hungrily at the plump flesh with the intention of leaving a mark, his breath hot on your skin, his hand moving slick between your legs.

“Jeon Jungkook.” You murmur, barely able to keep yourself up anymore. He works his way up to your mouth, lowering you on his lap. You collapse against his body and bite his shoulder, trying not to whimper as you feel the tension building in your stomach. He changes his rhythm, thrusting his fingers deeper and more forcefully within you and you can’t help but cry out, your back arching and body trembling as he continues, ignoring you, making you cry out a second time.

He stops abruptly at the sudden knock on the door, “Y/N? Are you okay?”, Jimin calls.

You try to answer but your reply comes out too faintly and he turns the door handle, “Y/N?”

“She’s fine!” Jungkook calls, panicking, embracing you tightly.

“Oh. Oh-my-ghad. Sorry.” He apologises, his voice growing fainter as he backs away.

You laugh soundlessly and pull back to look at Jungkook, take his face in your hands and kiss him tenderly. “Are you sure you’ve never done anything before?” You ask, your voice raspy.

“Was it that good?” He asks smugly.

“Well, did you hear me?”

He chuckles and nods, “I felt you too.” He says absentmindedly, pecking each of your breasts. “Now all that’s left is for me to taste you.”

“What about me? When will I get to hear you, feel you, taste you?” You ask, your voice low.

He shrugs and looks away. “Well, you know…whenever.”

You smile and change the subject, “What do you wish for?”

“Wish?”

“Yeah, you won, remember?” You remind him.

“Can I keep it for later?”

“Sure thing, but if you forget about it don’t blame me.” You say, climbing off the bed.

“Where are you going?” He asks, moving to the end of the bed where you stand, adding, “I wasn’t done with you.” He takes hold of your waist and starts kissing you just below your belly button, picking you up to lay you back down on the bed. He kisses your lips and makes his way downward, spreading your legs apart. He teases you, kissing your inner thigh, making his way slowly toward your centre. He runs his hot tongue over you and you shiver, aware of his every touch. He kisses you a few times and explores your womanhood with his mouth, eagerly licking you. Your moans are enough encouragement and you can feel him growing confident in his actions, squeezing your buttocks. He decides to let his hands join in, stroking your already soaking channel before inserting his fingers, at which point you grab his hair and whine, “Jeon Jungkook…” Using both his fingers and mouth, it’s not long before he turns you into a moaning, whimpering mess.

While catching your breath, you look over at him and ask, “Can you do me a favour?” He raises his eyebrows in response. You purse your lips and hoping he catches your drift, answer, “I kinda need someone to wash my back…”

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._ He gulps and breathes out slowly, “Now?”

You nod and get up, walking over to your bathroom. You pause in the doorway and look over your shoulder at him, “Only if you want to.”

_Okay Jeon Jungkook, we can do this. The day has finally come for your dick to be seen by a girl. Let’s do this._

He walks into the en suite and watches you under the running water. You notice him and smile, urging him to get in. He walks up to the door and opens it, dropping his pants and climbing in awkwardly.

“Hi.” You say, pulling him inside properly.

“Hi.” He stammers back, casually trying to cover up his junk.

You giggle and take his hands, placing them on your hips instead. You look up at him and whisper, “Let me play with _your_ whole body now, okay?”

He nods his agreement and you start kissing him softly. You lead him into the corner and as you move your mouth southward, you start stroking his shaft and he moans, his breathing hastening, becoming shallower. On your knees, you take him in your mouth and swirl your tongue over his tip; he grabs your hair, inhaling sharply. He loosens his grip and bites hard on his lower lip in an effort to muffle his groans as you draw your mouth back and forth over his length. He whines and gives up being quiet when you really start working his member. “Y/N…Fuck, Y/N, I think, oh fuck…” He sputters nonsensically and you pull deeper, knowing he’s near. “Oh-fuck-meee!” He yells, and then he cries out, grabbing your head again, shuddering as his seed is deposited in your mouth.

~

He watches you put your nightie on and claps his hands once, a devilish look in his eyes. You turn to look at him and ask what it is that has him so amused.

“Remember when I asked to save my wish?” He asks and you nod, “Well, I know what I want.” He says, laughing, tongue-in-cheek.

“What is it?” You ask.

“Can I name your box?” He asks, lifting his eyes from your lady parts.

“What? Why?”

“I have an excellent idea. Plus, you said you’d grant me whatever I wanted.” He says, pouting.

You face palm and look at him between your fingers, asking, “What did you have in mind?”

“Jar.” He says, wiggling his eyebrows. “You know, like Kookie Jar.”

You cringe and he walks to the door, singing and bopping his head, “Can’t keep my hands, my hands, my hands out the cookie jar.”

“That’s so cheesy!” You exclaim, laughing and throw a pillow at him.

To your surprise, less than two minutes later, he waltzes back in and explains that Seokjin locked him out. You laugh and let him climb back into your bed.

“Aai, I can’t blame him. Sleep well, Kookie.”

~


	13. Surprise me?

** Y/N: **

You wake to the sound of running water and find Jungkook climbing into your shower. He doesn’t notice you, so for a while you just stand there staring at his back muscles.

“Are you going to get in or just stare at me all day?” He asks, giving you a fright.

“Yah! If you knew I was standing here, why didn’t you say something?”

“I could ask you the same question.” He returns, laughing. “Now are you getting in or can I actually shower?”

“Gosh, when did you get so cocky?” You ask, looking at your vibrating phone, “Where have the days gone where you couldn’t even…that’s so weird.”

“What’s wrong?” He asks.

“Taehyung just called.” You answer, “Ooh, a message.” You open the text and your heart drops.

**_Your mom’s on her way here, thought I’d give you a heads up._ **

“Shit! I’ll be back soon.” You call to Jungkook, scrambling out of the bedroom.

You’re nervous about seeing your mom. You used to be so close that you’d tell her everything but after you started dating Inho against her wishes, you’ve been more than a little distant.

You barge into Taehyung’s room to find only Hoseok and Yoongi sitting there and comment without thinking, “Aww, you guys are so cute.” Yoongi looks like he wants to protest but you interrupt him, asking, “Have you seen Tae?”

“He just got in the shower.” Hoseok replies, “Why did-”

“Thank you.” You shout, running to the bathroom.

“Tae!” You squeak, hurriedly opening the shower door.

“Hey, did you get my message?” He asks.

“Can I get in?” You ask, pulling your nightie over your head.

“Oooh…you slept without underwear?”

You roll your eyes, explaining quickly, “Kookie slept over last night, but that’s not important, my mom’s on her way here?”

“Yeah, mine is coming too.”

 “Oh my gosh! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? If you’re done, can you get out?” You ask, half pushing him out of the shower.

“Showers with you used to be so much fun.” He sighs, placing his hands on your shoulders. “Why are you so frazzled? You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Dude. I didn’t tell my parents that I broke up with the guy they hate or that I moved…let alone that I moved into a house with seven guys. Actually, how does my mom know I live here? What if they think I'm like the village bicycle? I didn’t even bother to send her as much as a message while I was dating Inho and she’s coming here now. My room is a fucking mess, Kookie is still in my shower, my hair looks like shit, I feel so fat and to top it all off, I almost failed my last test. Gosh, I’m such a bad person." You rattle off, sobbing.

"Honey...calm down." He says, embracing you. “You’ll be okay. If anything, your mom will be happy that you broke things off with him. Imagine if you knew he was cheating and stayed with him anyway. Then she’d have something to be pissed about. You look fucking fabulous and even if you didn’t, your mom wouldn’t care about those things…you’re just a bit overwhelmed right now.”

“But we haven’t spoken in months…What if she hates me?”

“Don’t be silly. She doesn’t hate you. If she did, would she have come all this way to visit you? My mom said yours was coming down to make amends.”

“Are you sure?” You ask, looking up at him.

He takes your face in his hands, "Yes. Everything will be fine. I’m sure of it, trust me, okay?"

You nod and he kisses your forehead. "Just breathe."

He climbs out and lets you wash yourself. When you switch the water off, he wraps you in his towel and leads you out of the bathroom, instructing, "Now go back to your room, chuck Jungkook out, get dressed and tidy your room up a bit. Come to the kitchen when you're done. I'll take care of everything else."

Yoongi passes the two of you as you come out of the bathroom and does a double-take, taking in Taehyung's bare state and you in the towel and opens his mouth to say something but changes his mind and he walks past, asking himself, "Why is everyone so weird today?”

When you go to your room, you’re shocked to find Jungkook miraculously changing your bedding. “Hey,” He says, standing with his hands on his hips, “The most awkward thing just happened, Yoongi walked in here and-”

“I’d love to hear what happened but can we do this later?” You ask, adding, “My mom is on her way here so, uh, yeah. You should probably not be in my room...” You trail off, picking out something to wear.

“Shit. I’ll leave.” He notices the towel you’re wrapped in, “Wait, when did you shower?”

“I just jumped in with Tae.” You reply with a shrug, slipping a jersey over your dress. “Thanks for changing the bedding, it’s really a great help.”

“You showered with Taehyung?” He asks, frowning.

“Well, yeah.”

“Naked?” He blurts out, incredulous.

“How else would we shower?” You ask back.

“But why? I was already right here in _your_ shower, besides, isn’t that a bit weird?”

“Well, uh, I guess it is, but I needed him.” You answer simply, struggling to understand why he’s having such a problem.

You catch a glimpse of something in his eyes before he smiles and shrugs, “Oh, okay. Have fun with your mom then.” He says, picking up his clothes and exiting the room.

~

** Y/N: **

Taehyung opens the door for your mothers, ushering them inside. His mother hugs you while your mom hugs him and takes his face in her hands, asking, “How do you get more handsome every time I see you?”

He chuckles and closes the door behind her, about to respond when she sees you and exclaims, rushing toward you, “My sweet baby!”

The moment she envelopes you, your chest heaves, “Eomma…” You manage, hugging her back, “I’ve missed you so much.” You whisper, taking in her familiar scent.

Taehyung goes into the kitchen and brings out biscuits and tea on a tray.

“Oh, mommy, so much has happened.” You say when she lets go of you.

“Well, you can tell me all about it now, okay?” She reassures you, “Now show me to your room, I fear there may be some tears on the way.”

You sit at the foot of your bed and start explaining everything to your mother, from how she was right about Inho to how you ended up living with Taehyung and his friends.

“Well, while I can’t say I’m thrilled about you living with a bunch of men -Taehyung included- I am happy that you didn’t sacrifice your morals for that sad sack. Gosh, no offense hun, but Inho is really so much more pathetic than even I could have imagined.”

You smile weakly at her, knowing she speaks the truth.

“And there’s nothing between you and Taehyung?” She inquires. “I’m sorry, I know you’ve been joined at the hip since you were knee high to a grasshopper, but come on, you can’t blame me for asking…we all know you two fooled around with each other for the better part of your teenage years.”

“You knew?” You ask, not expecting the conversation to take this turn. _Damn, I thought we were so good at hiding it!_

“You’re joking, right?” She asks, giggling, “Anyone who laid eyes on the pair of you would know!” She lowers the tone of her voice and asks, “So, is there something?”

You shake your head in reply and answer, “We work better just being friends. Anyway, enough about my sad love life, how’re things at home?”

“As long as you know what you’re doing and that I’ll always be here for you, I don’t mind what you do.” She says, running her hand through your thick locks and sighs, “Things are good; I suppose nothing exceptionally exciting has happened. Your dad is still a workaholic, but we’re going on a second honeymoon soon…the whole thing is quite romantic, he’s hardly given me any details, but we should be back before you come home for Christmas, so you don’t have to worry.”

“What?” You ask in disbelief, cringing, “Couldn’t you just say you were going on a trip? Now I’m going to have nightmares.” You wail, mock crying into your pillow.

“I thought you wanted to hear about my love life…” She laughs, knowing damn well that’s not what you meant. “Well regardless, I’m so excited, there’s so many things I have to do.” She chirps, clapping her hands. You roll over and laugh, realising just how much you’ve missed having her to talk to. You head back inside to Taehyung and his mother and the four of you talk the hours away, just like old times.

Before the sun sets, your moms say their goodbyes, wishing you well for midterms. After seeing them off, you shut the door and lean against it, exhaling.

Taehyung crosses his arms and looks at you, eyebrow arched, “Is it just me, or did your mom not seem to hate you?”

You laugh and shake your head, “Thanks Taetae.” You say, wrapping your arms around him. “For always dealing with my crazy.”

He squeezes you back and you can feel him smile, “It’s child’s play really, I mean I’ve been dealing with it my whole life.”

You pull away, squealing, “You’re supposed to tell me I’m not crazy!”

“You got into my shower and tried to kick me out of it!” He squawks, “Even you have to admit that’s kinda basket case-ish.”

At that, you cover your eyes, “Ugh…don’t remind me. It was weird, huh?”

“Just a little.” He admits, laughing. “’Sup Kook?” He calls to Jungkook, looking like an awkward turtle in the passageway.

“Hiii…” He waves, “Your moms are gone?” He half asks, half states, walking toward you.

You nod and frown, “You haven’t been cooped up all day, have you?”

“Nah, don’t worry. I was actually on my way to the shop.” He informs, zipping up his hoodie, adding, “Is there anything you want?”

Remembering those words from the text he sent you the first time you guys actually hooked up, you respond, “Just you.”

He smirks, commenting, “Autocorrect must be acting up again, huh?”

“Of course.” You answer with a playful smile.

He returns the smile and meets your gaze for a while, about to reply when Taehyung interrupts him, muttering, “Get a room, would you?”, walking away, shaking his head.

You giggle and Jungkook looks down, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“You know some ice-cream wouldn’t be bad.” You say into the settling silence.

“Oh yeah? What kind?” He asks, looking up.

“Mmh, I’m not sure…” You respond, seriously contemplating your options. “Surprise me?”

“Aw hell no. You’re not doing that shit to me.” He protests, taking you by the arm, “Just come choose your own.” He adds, barely giving you enough time to slip on your shoes.

~

You walk to the shop together and stop off at the park to enjoy the ice-cream. You try to see-saw but against his muscular build, it’s really quite a useless effort. He climbs off, setting the thing down gently so you don’t get hurt and comes around to sit opposite you in front of the handlebars. He finishes his cone first and stares slack-jawed as you take your time with yours, completely engrossed in trying to save the melting ice-cream from the floor.

“How much longer do you plan on molesting that poor thing?” He asks eventually, snapping you from your trance.

You slide the remainder of it into your mouth and wink as he narrows his eyes at you, prompting you to lick your lips before biting the lower of the two as you try desperately not to laugh.

“You getting jealous of an ice-cream cone?” You inquire.

“Maybe…” He admits, shooting you a sideways glance.

“Don’t be. He’s got nothing on your popsicle.” You assure, beaming like an idiot.

He scrunches his face up, “So fucking corny…” He says, lifting your chin to kiss you.

~


	14. It's nothing big.

** Y/N: **

As midterms near, you can feel the tension in the house is rising, becoming almost tangible. You cut back on the time you spend fooling around with Jungkook and almost never see the rest of the boys, even at meal times. In addition to your academic preparation, to cope with the stress, you start jogging every day and try to meditate when it really gets to you.

You finish up your jog one evening, about to head inside when someone calls, “Angel Cakes!” You look around but see no one. “Angel Cakes!” The voice calls again. “Up here!” A boy hisses.

You look up and gasp when you see Jimin waving at you from the rooftop, his legs dangling off the edge. “Jiminie get down from there!” You insist.

“Come up!” He calls down.

“What? No way dude.”

“It’s completely safe, I do this all the time. Come to the side of the house, I’ll help you!”

He pulls himself up and walks carefully around, urging you, “Come up!”

You sigh and cross your arms, but go around anyway.

He smiles and holds the ladder steady for you as you climb it. As you take the last step between the ladder and the roof, you nearly lose your balance and he quickly steadies you, one hand on your waist, the other holding your hand, “You good, Angel Cakes?”

“You said this was safe!” You exclaim, hitting him on the arm, “And did you just call me ‘Angel Cakes’?” You ask, disgusted.

“It is safe; and yes I did. I’m putting my foot down, so until you stop calling me ‘Jiminie’ I will continue to do so.”

“What would you have me call you then?”

“Repeat after me.” He says and you nod. “Ji-” He sounds out.

“Ji-” You repeat.

He smiles, “Min”

“Min” You say.

“O-” He urges.

_I am not calling you Oppa_

“-ie.” You finish.

“No, no…that’s close but not quite what I was going for. Come on, you can do it, ‘O-’” He tries again.

“-ie.” You say with a smile, sounding it out, “Ji-min-ie.”

“You know what, Angel Cakes? You’ll get it right one day. For now, why don’t you come and sit down, uh?” He suggests, giving up and guiding you to his spot.

“Oh wow, you weren’t joking when you said you come up here often.” You remark, looking at the picnic blanket, outdoor lantern and stash of random stuff in a tool box.

“Yeah…it gets a bit stuffy inside sometimes. It’s nice to come up here and just be, you know?” He says, sitting down next to you.

“No kidding. It’s beautiful up here.” You agree, awe-struck by the pink and orange marbled sky, littered with puffy white clouds, illuminated by the setting sun.

“Mmh, I think so too.” He says, leaning back with his face upturned, almost as if he’s waiting for droplets of rain to fall from the sky and kiss his skin. He opens his eyes and looks over at you, “You shouldn’t jog all by yourself, it’s not safe…especially for a pretty young thing.”

“A pretty young thing? Me?” You ask, pretending to be flattered.

“Don’t take it to heart Angel Cakes.” He warns, ruffling your hair, “You’re missing the point…stop running alone, okay? Rather get a buddy. Oh, and don’t run when the sun’s going down, it’s dangerous out there. Unless your buddy is big and strong and will protect you…but even then, carry pepper spray and a tazer.”

You laugh and ask, “Wow, I didn’t know there were so many requirements for jogging buddies. Gosh, where I will find someone I can trust who lives nearby, actually wants to jog -let alone with me- is big, strong and willing to protect me?”

“I really don’t know,” He says, scratching his chin, “Maybe you should put up a flyer.”

Amused, you answer, “Nah, that’s too much effort. I’ll just continue going alone, at sunrise and set every day, completely unprotected.”

“I’ll keep you in my prayers.” He chuckles.

“Oh please do.” You respond, leaning back on your elbows.

~

** Y/N: **

“Taetae…” You sing, knocking on his door before opening it. You poke your head inside and find him sitting at his desk trying to weave a pencil into his hair.

“What’s up?” He waves you inside.

“You busy?” You ask, pouting.

“Well I should be, but I need a break.” He replies, diving on to his bed, “Come lay next to me so I have someone to blame for not studying.”

You crawl on to the bed and make yourself comfortable, resting your head in the crook of his arm, “Gosh, it’s been too long since we’ve done this.” You comment, closing your eyes briefly. When you open them next, you’re still in his arms, although you can tell a significant amount of time has passed. “Taehyung-ah…” You drawl, your voice husky after sleeping. You look up to see him holding a book in one hand, reading earnestly. “Why didn’t you wake me so you could study properly?”

“The time passes faster when you’re here, it makes studying bearable.” He answers, drawing you closer and rubbing your back.

“I’d bet you’d charm the socks off a lamp, given the chance.” You mumble under your breath.

“I definitely could.” He quips. “Now keep it down, eh?”

~

** Y/N: **

In the early morning, you emerge from your bedroom, quietly making your way through the sleeping house while tying your hair in a ponytail. You spot a silhouette leaning against the wall and pray it isn’t a ghost.

“I thought we were leaving at sunrise.” Jimin says with a smirk, kicking off the wall, walking toward you.

Relieved it’s just him, you beam, asking, “We?”

“I’ve been waiting nearly an hour.” He says casually, slipping his hands into the pockets of his track pants. “Can we go now?”

He unlocks the door and you follow him out, stretching in silence.

“Holy shit!” You exclaim when you look up and see him contorting his body, “How are you even doing that?” You ask, trying to mimic him.

He laughs at your weak attempt, “I’ll teach you one day. Anyway, what route do you usually take?”

~

** Y/N: **

The house is so still you could hear the conversations between the hiding ants if you tried; you were mistaken when you thought tensions were high before. Now that exams have started, unless you’re writing, you don’t see anyone except for Jimin in the morning when you jog and occasionally Taehyung will seek you out.

After his first paper, Namjoon came back home and marched through the house swearing under his breath, breaking the handle of his room door after shutting it so hard that it bounced back open and shut itself equally loudly. When Yoongi came back from one of his, you could hear the soju bottles clinking as he staggered to his room. Hoseok seemed fine every time he wrote and so did Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook, although you noticed the latter two had started pouring themselves into their workouts.

One Friday Seokjin walks in, throws his keys down and shouts, “Fuck yeah!”

He then howls and calls out from the passageway, “Everyone, listen up! We haven’t had a meal together in a while, so I’m making dinner tonight and I’ve got something important to say, so you better be there, okay?” He waits for a few moments for a response, but when none comes, he asks, “You heard that, right?”

His question is met by a unanimous “Yeah.” From everybody still in their rooms and you can’t help but giggle.

Pretty soon, the house is filled with spicy aroma of cooking food and slowly but surely, everyone emerges from their rooms. One of the boys put some background music on and you all take some time out, the lively chatter blessing your ears. You try to help Seokjin out with the cooking but he shoos you away, insisting that he needs to do it by himself.

“Sorry Angel Cakes.” Jimin says, his hands on your waist as he tries to squeeze past you while you lay the dinner table.

“Sure thing, Jiminie.” You answer with a smile, moving out of the way.

You don’t notice it, but Taehyung and Jungkook both throw him dirty looks, neither saying anything. It’s not long before dinner is ready and you all gather around, astounded by the feast laid out before you.

“What’s the occasion?” Namjoon asks, licking his lips.

“Let’s eat first, I’ll explain afterward.” Seokjin answers.

Although you’re all eager to hear the reason behind his actions, nobody needs a second invitation to dig in. Taehyung burns his mouth while shovelling a piece of meat into his mouth when amidst the dinner chatter Seokjin blurts, “Today I landed a role in a drama.”

The conversation ceases as all eyes turn to him and Yoongi drops his chopsticks, “What did you just say?” he asks Jin who continues eating as if nothing happened.

“I landed a role in a drama.” He answers nonchalantly.

At that, the house erupts into chaos, everyone trying to get a word in first. Namjoon whistles loudly, and the rest of you calm down, shutting up and sitting down immediately.

“Care to elaborate?” He asks Jin, leaning back and folding his arms.

“It’s nothing big,” Seokjin explains, shrugging, “I’m just playing the brother of the lead. I really didn’t think I would get the part, but hey, here we are.”

“‘Just’? ‘Just the brother of the lead?’” Hoseok asks, dumbfounded. “Hello? How is that ‘just’ something?”

“Wah, I can see it now.” Taehyung marvels, looking up into the distance, “The limo arrives, the cameras are clicking and flashing, girls are screaming, ‘Kim Seokjin! Kim Seokjin!’ He steps out and they all go wild. He waves and when he winks at one of the fans, she faints.” He hangs his head and shakes it, “Just one of the many casualties of the day.” When he looks up, he quips, “You better give me your autograph before you get famous, I might need to sell it one day.”

Seokjin just waves off everyone’s compliments and congratulations but you can all tell he’s nearly bursting at the seams with excitement of his first big role.

“This is fan-fucking-tastic! Congrats Hyung.” Jungkook bubbles, “When exams finish, we have to knock a few back to celebrate properly.”

“We should go hard in the last week…the year’s almost finished and then we probably won’t see much of each other over Christmas.” Hoseok adds.

“How about we do a seven-day challenge?” You suggest, “You know, a week of challenging yourself to things you wouldn’t ordinarily do, like drinking or getting a piercing, stuff like that.”

“But we always drink, it’s not necessarily a challenge…” Yoongi says, stating the obvious.

“Not for 24 straight hours.” You counter, arching your eyebrow.

“24 hours?” He echoes, a devilish smile creeping up on his face.

You giggle, “Yeah, we could start the challenge with that.”


	15. Oppa, you good?

** Jungkook: **

After writing his last exam, Jungkook heads to the parking lot where Jimin and Taehyung are waiting for him. He jogs up to the car, takes their hands and climbs in, stretching himself out on the backseat, letting Taehyung drive and Jimin sit up front.

“Fuck, I’m gonna get so wasted tonight, today’s paper hammered me.” Taehyung says as he starts the car up.

“Me too.” Jimin shakes his head, “You’re still going on that blind date for me, right?” Jimin asks Taehyung.

“I meant to tell you, I can’t this time.”

“Why not? You always go.” Jimin asks, intrigued.

“My first love crawled back into my heart.” He answers.

_His first love?_

“Ooh…You’re in love?” Jimin sits up straight.

“Anyway, why don’t you let Jungkook go?” Taehyung suggests, avoiding the question.

_Could it be her? They’re abnormally close and he always looks at her like-_

“Jungkookah?” Jimin asks, turning in his seat to face Jungkook.

He snaps from his thoughts and looks at Jimin.

“Will you go in my place?” Jimin repeats.

“I don’t know...” He answers, shifting his weight, “When is it?”

“Three days from now.”

“Uh…I have to check, but I’ll let you know.” Jungkook replies, putting his earphones in.

~

** Y/N: **

You sit on the wall outside the house with Namjoon, Seokjin, Yoongi and Hoseok, waiting for the rest of the boys to arrive so the festivities can begin. The house is all decorated for the week-long challenge, the kitchen fully stocked with Jell-O shots, alcohol-soaked sweets, punch, beer and an array of other alcoholic beverages. Hoseok stands on the wall and starts howling when their car comes along in the distance, prompting the three boys to stick their heads out of the car windows and howl back.

Before Taehyung switches the car off, Jungkook jumps out and marches straight for you, taking your face in his hands, his lips crashing down on yours as he aggressively kisses you. At that, the boys all whistle and hoot and it’s not long before you break the kiss off, your cheeks aflame.

“What was that for?” You whisper breathlessly as he brushes his lips lightly against yours.

“I miss my Jar.” He murmurs, pecking you one more time.

“Well thanks for finally confirming that.” Yoongi says, throwing his hands in the air.

“She’s taught you well, huh?” Namjoon teases, patting him on the back.

You head inside and kick things off with a toast to the end of the semester and to Seokjin’s acting career. Although it’s still light out, the music is pumping and as promised, the drinks are flowing. Yoongi goes around topping everybody up, keeping a close eye to make sure that everyone is drinking enough.

By nightfall, you’re all way past tipsy; in the living room, Namjoon is giving a philosophy lecture to the furniture. Jungkook and Jimin are trying to scale the walls of the house outside, in the kitchen, Seokjin is telling jokes and Taehyung is doing impersonations for you; Yoongi and Hoseok, unaccounted for.

“Angel Cakes!” Jimin calls, charging into the kitchen, “Pour me a drink please.” He asks, leaning on the counter and batting his lashes. Jungkook follows behind him, cackling raucously.

“No no, please, let me.” Jungkook offers. He takes a glass, throws in a couple of doses of soju and tequila, adds beer and squeezes a Jell-O shot in for good measure. He charges it up with a spoon and slides it over to Jimin who gulps, wearily eyeing the lump of Jell-O floating in the concoction.

“Why did I think I could beat you up that wall?” Jimin asks, picking up the glass and slurping the drink down. “That was actually not bad…” He puts the glass down, blinking a few times, “I’d have another, but I think I might be fucked.” He adds, slowly making his way to a stool.

Everyone laughs and Namjoon comes into the kitchen, talking on his phone, “Babe, I’ll be there now.” He sends his girlfriend kisses and puts the cell phone into his pocket, grabbing a beer; he nods to Jin. “Hyung, come with me. Yoona has a friend.”

“Beer pong?” Jungkook suggests when Namjoon and Seokjin leave.

The game is set up in the living room, you and Taehyung taking on Jimin and Jungkook. Unfortunately, you have terrible aim which is even worse when you’re under the influence. Thankfully, after the drink Jungkook made him, Jimin is not much better than you. With only one cup left on your side and two on theirs, Jungkook and Taehyung get quite competitive. At this point there’s not much to you but giggles, the alcohol catching up to you. Jimin misses the cup on his turn but he laughs it off and naturally you join in, barely able to catch your breath when Taehyung knocks out one of their cups. The steam radiating off Jungkook is nearly visible as he prepares to take the final blow but he cracks under the pressure and misses completely.

Having been of little help to Taehyung in the game, no-one expects much as you take your shot but by some miracle, the little plastic ball plops into the cup in front of Jungkook and he looks at you in disbelief, unable to fathom what just happened. The silence following your winning shot is quickly filled by Taehyung’s booming voice echoing through the room as he celebrates the victory. He picks you up and spins you around, covering your face in kisses when he puts you down. He plants one on your lips and looks lustily at them, but his gaze goes over your head, you already having turned your attention elsewhere.

“Hey losers, come receive your punishment!” You call, skipping into the kitchen. You pour tequila shots for the pair while they get their salt and lemon ready.

“Argh…How many you expect?” Jimin slurs when you pour the fourth.

“This is the last, I promise.” You answer, holding out your pinky.

He smirks at your gesture, but hooks pinkies with you, “I’ll trusting you, okay?”

“Okay Jiminie.” You roll your eyes.

“Angel Cakes!” He teases, sticking out his tongue.

“You know that has no effect on me, right?” You ask, handing him his shot.

Jungkook comes up to you and moves your hair out of the way before bending down, promptly running his tongue over your collar bones. He shakes salt over it and you play along, taking the lemon from him and placing it in your mouth.

“Wah, don’ you juss wish you had someone now?” Jimin asks, nudging Taehyung.

Jungkook licks the salt and swallows the amber liquid, quickly sucking the lemon from your mouth and spitting it out so he can kiss you properly. He runs his thumb over your parted lips and brings his own near, looking Taehyung dead in the eye as he allows you to taste the drink he just had. Unaware, you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer and he deepens the kiss, closing his eyes only when Taehyung casts his downward, walking away, his hands balled up into fists at his sides. Jimin, whose busied himself with a bowl of chips, follows him out, asking nonsensical questions.

“I’ve got a popsicle if you’re interested.” Jungkook whispers, nibbling at your ear. You wrap your legs around him and he chuckles, carrying you off.

When you return, everyone is in the living room. Namjoon and Seokjin are back, along with a few of Yoona’s friends.

“Well, it took you long enough!” Hoseok chuckles, walking over to the two of you.

“I could say the same to you, Hyung.” Jungkook answers with a wink and you hit him on the arm.

Hoseok shoots him a sideways glance and looks to you, then back at Jungkook again, “Ho-ly shit…You two know, don’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re referring to.” Jungkook says, knitting his brows together, “But dang! Yoongi looks exhausted.” He says shaking his head as he walks away.

You try to hold it in, but a short burst of laughter escapes you as Hoseok starts coughing at Jungkook’s words, almost choking. Yoongi notices and comes over, “You okay?” He asks, “Here, wet your throat.” He adds, offering his beer. Hoseok starts coughing more uncontrollably and chugs the beer.

“Hyung!” Jungkook calls, spotting Jimin who’s standing with Taehyung and Jin, “I think I’ll go on that date.”

“Really?” Jimin asks, grinning from ear to ear. “That’s great Kookie!”

“You’re going on a date?” You ask, joining them.

“It would seem so.” Jungkook answers.

“Well it’s about time! Fingers crossed, you’ll meet someone great.” You say with a smile before turning your attention to Taehyung, “Taetae! Come dance with me.”

You pull him by the hand and realise the boy can hardly keep himself upright. You steady him and laugh as he tries to focus his gaze, “Oppa, you good?”

He just smiles and wraps his arms around your waist, “Slow dance.” He mumbles, resting his head on your shoulder. The two of you move slowly on the spot for a couple of songs before he abruptly stops and takes your face in his hands, “You’re the only girl. The only girl.” He repeats, his suddenly piercing gaze flitting between your eyes and lips and you look away, giggling nervously, unsure what to make of it. He turns your head to look at him and strokes your cheek with his thumb.

“Taetae…” You warn, the melancholic tone of your voice enough for him to change his.

“Don’t take me so seriously hun.” He says, ruffling your hair, “I think I’m stable now. How about we dance properly, huh?” He takes your hand and spins you around.

After dancing and playing drinking games for a few hours, you retreat to the kitchen in search of something other than beer to drink. You’re surprised when you walk around the counter and nearly stumble over Jimin’s legs.

You squat down in front of his sleeping form, his head resting against the cupboards and arms folded, legs splayed out in front of him. “Jimin…” You coo, nudging him gently.

He opens his eyes partly, “Angel Cakes?” He asks.

“Hey…What are you doing on the floor?” You ask softly.

He looks around him and now aware of his surroundings, chuckles, “I don’t know. I think I may have passed out for a while.” He admits, running a hand through his hair.

You help him up and he stretches, yawning like a kitten after a busy day of playing. He walks over to the cooler and digs around; pulling a cider out, he smiles and pops it open, “Your favourite.” He says, handing it to you before pulling out a beer for himself.

“How’d you know?” You ask, sipping on the apple flavoured drink.

“You told me.” He responds, explaining further when he sees your face, “Remember, before exams, we were still sitting on the roof after our evening run?”

“That was more than a month ago, how’d you even remember?” You wonder, to which he just shrugs. “You know; we should go watch the sun rise.” You suggest.

“Have you been outside, Angel? Its fucking cold.”

“Who cares? That’s what clothes and blankets are for.” You urge, tugging on his sleeve.

He looks at his watch. “Well, I suppose some fresh air won’t hurt. I’ll go get a blanket.”

Before you know it, he returns, blanket and a couple of jerseys in hand. He tosses one to you, “Here, put this on.”

“It smells just like you.” You say, trying to pull it over your head. When your head finally pops through and you open your eyes, he’s standing right in front of you.

“Ta-da!” He exclaims, revealing a bowl of vodka-soaked jellies.

Having not had any earlier, you gasp and clap your hands, “I was so sad when they were all gone.”

“I know. I stashed them in the back of the fridge for you.” He says, carefully placing the treasured goods in your waiting arms.

~


	16. Challenge yourself.

**Y/N:**

“It’s fucking cold out here! Why didn’t you tell me?” You ask with chattering teeth.

Jimin, already on the roof, looks down at you and sighs, “You wanna go back?”

“No, no, not at all.” You vigorously shake your head, making you dizzy, “The world is spinning.” You inform him, trying to maintain your balance on the ladder.

You reach out for him and as always, he helps you take the last step on to the roof. Since it’s still dark and damp from the dew, you tread lightly, holding on to his arm until reaching the spot. He sits you down and hands you the blanket, going back to fetch the sweets and drinks. When you hold out part of the blanket for him, he stubbornly refuses.

“Why are guys always like this?” You ask, rolling your eyes, “Even Jungkook was like ‘Ah, the beer will warm me up!’” You grumble, trying to imitate his voice.

He laughs at your attempt and says, “Well, sorry for trying to be a gentleman.” He takes the blanket and wraps it around himself, scooting closer to you. “Speaking of Jungkook, you don’t mind him going on that date for me, do you?”

You shake your head, “Why would I?”

“Well, you guys are, you know…” He answers, nudging you.

“Oh no…Don’t get me wrong, he’s a lot of fun but I don’t feel that way about him.” You swallow a purple gummy bear, “Did you just say he’s going for you?”

“Yeah, my friend set me up with some girl, but you know, I don’t do blind dates.” He replies.

“You were serious about that?” You ask with wide eyes.

He nods slowly, “Is it so crazy that I want to meet a girl, be friends with her, get to know her -the real her- and fall in love without even realising it?” He asks, running a hand through his hair. “Besides, blind dates never work out anyway.”

“How could you possibly know that? You only went on one! I know plenty of couples who could not be more in love.” You reason.

“One was enough…you were there; it wasn’t exactly a great experience. I mean, you left to feed a fake cat that didn’t even belong to you.” He counters.

“That had nothing to do with you, I was just tired of Tae trying to pass me off to his hot friends after I came back.”

“Hot friends?” He asks, with a smirk.

“Yes, hot friends.” You laugh, “You know, I was already having a hard time speaking to you and you kept taunting me.”

“I only said that you were cute!”

“Oh please, don’t act so innocent now, you knew what you were doing!”

“I was nervous too! And you said it had nothing to do with me…” He narrows his eyes at you, taking a swig of his drink.

“Well, you weren’t helping yourself either,” You return, when Taehyung’s voice pops into your head.

_‘You’re the only girl.’_

_Why would he say that?_

“But I suppose it really did have nothing to do with you.” You mutter and face forward, your cider suddenly tasting bitter.

_‘The only girl.’_

Sensing the shift in your mood, he puts his drink down, “What happened?” He asks, looking at you.

“Mmh?” You ask, staring at the dark sky.

“You said Tae was passing you off...”

“Oh…uh, Tae and I…me and Taehyung…we weren’t always just friends…” You explain, throwing a glance at him.

“Oh…I see. Sorry for asking.” He apologises, pulling his sleeves over his hands.

“No, it’s okay,” You sigh heavily and lay back, “A couple of years ago, we were playing around as we always did and out of nowhere, he just kissed me. It was the first time for both of us and we were such awkward potatoes afterwards.” You laugh at the memory, “Anyway, I’d never thought of him as being anything more than my best friend before but somehow the lines got blurred and we kept fooling around. Of course, I went through a phase where I liked him, I mean you don’t get with someone for so long without some confusion. Then I went overseas last year for a couple of months and I don’t know…” You trail off, examining your split ends, “It was difficult being in a foreign country where hardly anyone understood me, especially since I was used to having someone at my side who knew my thoughts and feelings before even I did…Of course, when I returned though, he had a girlfriend and well, I couldn’t do anything about that.”

You cock your head to the side, “He actually asked me if I was okay with it once…I just laughed and told him I was fine, that even though I’m not destined for love, he still deserves to be happy.” You sit up and turn to face Jimin, “Ugh, after I said that, he promised to find me someone who deserves me and that’s when the stupid dates started. I hated it. With all my heart, I really did. Not because they were awful or the guys were horrible, but just because I hated feeling like I was a problem he had to solve, you know?” He nods and you sip on your cider, “In the end it worked out though…I got over my infatuation, he set me up with Inho, he became like my brother again and, well here we are.” His silence is deafening so you face forward like him and brush a stray hair from your face, “Sorry about that.”

“You don’t need to apologise.” He says in a low voice, plucking a gummy bear from the bowl.

“Do you have special powers or something?” You ask, taking one of your own.

“Special powers?” He asks with a half-smile, meeting your eyes.

“Yeah, I always end up spilling my beans in front of you. Even the first time we met.”

“I’m just charming like that.” He shrugs, tipping an imaginary top hat. You try to bite back your laughter and he bumps you with his shoulder. The sun finally starts showing her face and the two of you watch in silence as she climbs the clouds, waking up the rest of the world as she goes.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t get it…” Jimin says quietly.

“Don’t get what?” You ask, puzzled.

“How you could be pro-blind-dating.”

You huff and shift your weight, “Well, my experiences weren’t exactly great, but that was because of my own hang ups and when I eventually opened myself up to it, I actually had fun and got myself a boyfriend out of it. Granted he ended up being a pathetic jerk, but it’s not to say everyone will be like that.” You explain.

“So if someone were to set you up, you’d go?” He asks.

“I’m not gonna bullshit you, I don’t know if I can do that -at least not now. But you haven’t given it a fair chance yet. You should do it, if for no other reason, then do it for me.” You try to convince him.

“For you?” He snickers.

“Yeah…I’d hate to think you missed out on the love of your life because you swore off blind dating after a bad one with me. For all we know, you could already have been dating her.”

“It’s not just because of you, you know? Although I probably could have had a girl by now.” He murmurs.

“I know.”

“And we are doing a seven-day challenge.” He acknowledges.

“Exactly.” You urge, “Challenge yourself.”

He tilts his head to the side and goes quiet for a while.

“Give me a do-over.” He says, turning to face you.

“What?”

“A do-over.” He chuckles, “If you believe what you said, you’d make it up to me.”

“But we know each other…that defies the very essence of the concept, besides, isn’t convincing you to give it a chance enough repayment?” You ask.

“You haven’t convinced me though. There’s only one way to do that.” He counters. “We can just pretend like we’re meeting each other for the first time.” He folds his arms, “Challenge yourself.” He imitates you. You scrunch up your face and he taps your leg, “Oh come on, I won’t actually try anything with you, it’s just practice for the real date I’ll go on if you do this.”

“You’ll really go on a real one?” You ask sceptically.

He takes your hand and extends your pinky finger, wrapping his own around it and then pressing your thumbs together, “Okay?” He asks.

“Okay.” You reluctantly agree, clinking your drink against his.

“Last one to finish has to make breakfast!” He exclaims before chugging his beer.

You panic and nearly spill your drink, scolding him between mouthfuls. He slows down and laughs to himself as you try earnestly to catch up. You take one last gulp and he feigns disappointment as he swallows the last of his, just after you. You jump up and hoot, arms held above your head in victory. He claps and shakes his head, looking up at you.

“I don’t think I’ve ever anticipated breakfast this much.” You say, pulling him up, “Pray, do tell kind sir, just what do you intend on cooking for this auspicious occasion?”

He chuckles and throws the blanket over his shoulder, “I did not know you were such a sore winner, Angel.”

“Only when people let me win.” You stick out your tongue and he gasps.

“I would never.” He says, placing one hand on his heart. “Come on, I’ll cook up something great.” He adds, letting you go down first.

Once on the ground, Jimin throws the blanket down to you and you wrap yourself up in it while he climbs down the ladder with the bowl. In the entrance, Jungkook lies passed out with one shoe on and the two of you carefully step over him. Yoongi shushes you and Jimin while he stands over Seokjin, drawing on his sleeping face with a marker and you notice two beautiful girls, also asleep, entangled with him. You quietly pass through and beeline for the kitchen, where Taehyung and Hoseok are chatting softly.

~

** Taehyung: **

“Hi guys.” You whisper, entering the kitchen. Jimin waves to the two boys and starts rummaging through the cupboards.

“Where did you come from?” Hoseok asks, tugging on the blanket.

You shrug it off, being much warmer inside.

_Is that his jersey she’s wearing?_

“We went out to watch the sunrise. It was quite beautiful -cold- but beautiful.” You answer, sitting down on a barstool.

_Just the two of them?_

_And they just happened to only have one blanket?_

“Coffee, Angel Cakes?” Jimin asks, putting the kettle on.

_And what the fuck is this Angel Cakes thing about?_

“Yes please.” You answer, laying your head on Taehyung’s shoulder.

“Ho, ho!” Yoongi walks in, “Coffee? Last time I checked, there’s no alcohol in that. Are you giving up on the challenge already? There’s still like…” He pauses to count up the hours, “Ten hours left.”

“I haven’t had a wink of sleep.” You yawn, “I won’t last ten more hours without coffee.”

“Were we supposed to stay awake the full 24 hours?” Yoongi asks, scratching his head, “I fell asleep earlier though.”

“Me too…” Taehyung adds.

“Oh.” You say, perking up at the possibility of sleep.

“Let’s go have a nap then.” Taehyung suggests, rubbing your back.

Jimin’s head whips up at that but he looks back down at the mixture he was preparing.

“Jimin’s promised me breakfast. We can nap later.” You say, not wanting to waste his efforts.

He starts mixing again and looks at you, a goofy smile on his face and you can’t help but smile back.

_What the fuck is going on here?_

After the much needed and appreciated breakfast, Taehyung picks you up, slinging you over his shoulder, “Time to go night-night.”

You squeal, the blood rushing to your head and lift it, blowing the hair out of your face as you wave goodbye to Jimin. He waves back, dishtowel in hand and calls after you, “Monday or Tuesday?”

Realising he’s trying to set a date, you think it over for a second and call back, “There’s someone I have to visit Monday, but I’m free Tuesday.”

“Tuesday it is.” He confirms as Taehyung rounds the corner and he disappears from your view.

~


	17. Desired effect?

** Y/N: **

Parked outside the apartment, you take a few moments to gather your strength and, working up the courage to do what you need to, you climb out of the sanctuary of your car and walk up to the entrance. As you make your way through the complex, one of your ex-neighbours stops to greet.

“It’s been a while. I thought you dropped out.” She says, a smile plastered on her face.

_Really? You’re just gonna jump right in, huh?_

You laugh, “Nope, I’m still here, I just moved to a _nicer_ place. Anyway, I’m kinda in a hurry, enjoy the holiday.” You add, walking away before she can say anything else.

You stand in front of the familiar door and notice for the first time a flaw in the wood beneath the white paint. You take two deep breaths before knocking, your heart a lump in your throat and contemplate running away.

It’s too late though, as the door is flung open almost immediately and you flinch when you’re met by Caitlin’s rather pissed off face and hand raised as if she’s about to hit you. When she realises it’s you, her expression softens and she places her arm at her side, “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

“It’s okay.” You shake your head, “I’m sorry for showing up out of the blue.”

“It’s okay.” She replies with tears in her eyes, “I’m sorry I almost took your head off.”

“It’s okay.” You say once more, “Are you? Are you okay?”

She bats her tears away and crosses her arms, “Of course I am.”

You look at her, unable to mask your worried expression, remembering how she was always too cool for emotion. She looks back at you and bites her lip, holding her breath as she fights back the tears stinging her eyes.

“Caitlin…” You say, taking a step toward her and she shakes her head, holding out one finger for you to stop, standing frozen as she continues to hold her breath.

“Dude, you’re gonna turn blue! Let it out.” You scold after some time.

She rolls her eyes and opens her mouth to speak but no sound comes out and a single tear drops down her face. She tries again but she’s too choked up to say anything and tries taking a slow breath in. When she lets it out, a stream of tears follow suit and she stands in the doorway, becoming a blubbering mess.

“Okay, okay.” You say, rubbing her arm, “How about we go inside, uh?”

She nods and mumbles something incoherent as you let the door swing closed behind yourself. You sit her down on the plush couch and let her cry her heart out, all the while stroking her hair as she clings to you. When she recovers a bit, you make some tea, finding everything with ease, still in the same place as before you moved out.

The two of you sip on your tea in silence until she pipes up, “Aren’t you going to ask why I was crying?”

“I didn’t think you’d want to talk about it.” You answer, looking up from your mug.

“I don’t.” She admits, looking back down into hers. “What prompted this?” She asks, gesturing at your presence.

“I just thought I’d see how you’re doing. I figured we could talk.”

“Ahh…” She smiles, “And you chose today on purpose, it being exactly three months since you moved out.”

“Yeah…you know how senti I can be.” You fiddle with your coaster.

“Honestly, I was going to do the same, not today -I thought that’d be too cheesy,” She jokes, “but sometime before the year’s up…”

Letting out a breath, she continues, “Look, about Inho…I know it’s unforgivable, but I’m sorry for pulling that shit on you.” She chuckles ironically and runs a hand through her hair, “Believe me, I truly am. Especially now that I’ve been on the receiving end.”

You put down your tea, “It really was a shit thing of you to do.” You say and she nods, scrunching up her face once more, “But I came to make peace; I don’t want any bad blood between us.”

“Maybe we can even get a drink together sometime?” She half-asks.

“Yeah, maybe…” You nod.

She laughs, “Don’t worry, I won’t hold you to that. So tell me, how’s it been living with seven gorgeous men?”

Knowing the serious talk is over, you smile slyly and arch your eyebrow, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“You’ve pegged one of them, haven’t you?” She giggles, “You have, haven’t you?” She playfully hits your arm.

You shrug and chuckle to yourself. Although you were never particularly close, this was the one thing you’d always shared.

“You little minx! Oh come on, tell me...” She coaxes. “Is it Taehyung? Are you guys back at it again?”

~

** Taehyung: **

Jungkook waltzes into the kitchen before heading off for his run, his energy suddenly zapped when he sees Taehyung sitting at the counter, eating ramyun.

“Hey Kook.” Taehyung greets between mouthfuls.

Jungkook nods to him as he pulls the fridge door open, grabbing a bottle of water and twisting it open. Not saying anything, he eyes Taehyung wearily while he takes a sip from it. Feeling the stare, the older boy looks up from his food and smiles. Jungkook just rolls his eyes and twists the cap back on, proceeding to walk out.

“Is there some sort of problem?” Taehyung asks before he can leave.

“Problem?” Jungkook asks.

“It’s getting kinda hard not to notice the weird vibe you’ve got going on whenever I’m around.” Taehyung explains, crossing his arms.

“Is she the one you were talking about in the car?” Jungkook asks, putting his bottle down and leaning against the counter, not bothering to pussyfoot around.

“What?” Taehyung knits his brow.

“Your first love. The one who ‘crawled back into your heart’. Is it her?” Jungkook clarifies for him.

“Yes.” Taehyung answers without hesitation. “Why do you care?”

Taken aback at his honesty, Jungkook takes a couple of seconds to respond and Taehyung stands up, his face mere inches from Jungkook’s, “You should stop dreaming Kook.” He warns in a low tone, “You’re nothing more than a piece of meat to her. She was in love with me before and she will be again.”

He shoves past Jungkook and walks to the sink.

“Are you sure about that?” Jungkook asks, his hands curled into tight fists, “Because as far as I know, she’s not interested in going backwards.”

Taehyung pauses with his back to Jungkook and chucks the little pot, the sound of metal on metal echoing through the house, “What would you know?”

“I know that you were together in high school. I know you never wanted to put a label on the relationship and I know that you completely screwed her over when she left. You really think she’s gonna want you back? I’m willing to bet she won’t. She even told me it was a mistake she’s not willing to make again.” Jungkook retorts, his voice growing louder with every breath he takes.

Taehyung is stunned into silence and Jungkook whacks his bottle off the counter and it bounces on to the floor, the water gushing out of the smashed plastic bottle as he walks away and punches the wall.

~

** Y/N: **

Not too far from home, you spot Jungkook dressed in running gear solemnly walking with his earphones in and decide to drive alongside him, catcalling with your music turned up. It doesn’t work so you give up hoot, finally catching his attention and gesture for him to get in.

“Hey there, Sexy.” You say cheerily.

“Well at least someone’s in a good mood.” He mutters, getting in and adjusting the volume.

“I am.” You smile at him, “What’s up?”

“Nothing much.” He sighs heavily.

“Aren’t you going on a date today?” You ask.

He nods and zips his track jacket all the way up, burying half of his face in it, looking out the window.

“Why do you look so miserable then? Shouldn’t you be more excited, or at the very least, kinda happy or something?”

“Why are _you_ so excited about it?” He asks, his words muffled by the material.

You shrug, pulling up the driveway, “I’m just happy. You have to tell me all about it, okay?”

He mumbles something to himself and you notice his knee bouncing, so you ask, “Are you nervous? Is that why you’re so on edge?” 

“No Y/N!” He snaps and breathes in deeply, yanking his seatbelt, struggling to get it off, “Why’d I even put this dumb shit on?!” He freaks, still fighting with the belt, “I’m just having a bad day. I should never have agreed to do this in the first place. It’s not like it’s having the desired effect anyway.”

“Desired effect?” You ask, confused, effortlessly unbuckling the belt for him.

“Never mind.” He mutters, slamming the car door as he gets out.

_What the fuck happened to him?_

“Jungkook!” You call, climbing out after him.

He ignores you and when you tug on his arm after catching up with his long strides, he stops abruptly and whirls around, jerking his arm away from you.

“What?!” He growls, the expression on his face so fierce and downright angry that you flinch again.

“Did something happen?” You ask timidly.

He barks something like an empty laugh once, his eyes fiery but distant and cold at the same time, “Did something happen?” He snarls.

“Look Jungkook, I don’t understand what’s going on.” You implore, trying to wrap your head around his bizarre behaviour.

He searches your face and the fire in his eyes dies, his voice cracking when he speaks next, “You really don’t, do you? It’s never even crossed your mind, has it?”

You’re acutely struck by the pain in both his eyes and voice and at once, the pieces come together, all the little things you’d overlooked or taken for sheer playfulness.

Freezing up at your very touch, grabbing your hand whenever he got the chance, always wanting to stop at the park or go for walks…His behaviour when you showered with Taehyung the morning after he’d practically given himself to you. _Shit_ , _how could I be so fucking stupid?_ Kissing you in front of everyone, making sure you were there when he told Jimin he’d go on that date. _Shit_.

“Oh no…” You whisper without realising and reach out for him, “Kookie…”

He pulls away from your touch, turning his face away as a tear threatens to fall from his eye, “Please don’t.”

“I’m sorry.” You say, withdrawing your hand, and he nods with tear-filled, red-rimmed eyes, tongue in cheek and hands in his pockets.

“I have a date to prepare for.” He says, pulling his jacket tighter around him before turning on his heel and disappearing into the house.

~

** Taehyung: **

“No! No! Nooooo!” You cry out as Taehyung beats you for the fifth time in a row in your favourite game.

He chuckles when you toss your console one side and stretch yourself out in front of him on the living room floor, whining endlessly as you lay your head in his lap.

“I don’t think you’ve ever played so bad.” He comments, taking it back when you threaten to bite him. He says nothing after that but finger-combs your hair and you can feel the unspoken question hanging in the air: _Is everything okay?_

“Everything is fine Taetae.” You assure him and close your eyes, welcoming the comfortable silence enveloping the two of you.

“Actually, can I ask you something?” You ask, breaking the silence.

“Go ahead.”

“Do you think Jungkook-” You’re cut off when Taehyung’s fingers stop dead in their tracks at the mention of the boy’s name. You clear your throat and open your eyes, “Do you think that Jungkook likes me?”

“Do you want him to?” He asks.

_Please say no._

“No, but he got all pissed off when I asked about his blind date earlier and the way he looked at me…” You wander off and shut your eyes again, trying to shake his lonely image from your head. “You should have seen him Tae. Please tell me I’m imagining things?”

“I can’t lie to you, sweetheart.” He answers, stroking your cheek once.

“Oppa, what am I supposed to do?” You ask, looking to him for the answer.

“There’s not much you can do hun. Especially if you don’t feel the same way as him.”

“But I don’t want to hurt him.”

“I know.” He coos, bending down and kissing your forehead, “Just give him some time and space, he’ll move on soon enough.”


	18. My hand?

** Y/N: **

There is something odd about the way the day feels. You’re not sure what it is, but the sun seems to be shining brighter, the grey clouds in overcast sky -although hard to tell apart- are smiling at you, the naked trees wave as you run past them and the wind hums a pleasant tune in your ears. Even the warm air that you exhale feels hopeful as it dances with the frozen air it meets.

Slowing down as you reach home, you take a few moments to catch your breath and, looking over at the black-haired boy, you ask, “So…what’s the plan?”

He starts stretching, “Well, I thought we should do the same thing we were supposed to do that day.”

“Late lunch and a movie?” You ask.

Jimin nods and puts his hands on his hips, “Is that okay?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Great. I’ll come to your room around at two then?” He asks, holding the front door open for you, “Then we can just drive up together.”

“Okay.” You walk through and kick off your trainers, “See you at two.”

He smiles and the two of you walk to your respective rooms, “Angel Cakes!” He calls when you open your door. You look over your shoulder at him and he smiles, “Wear something pretty, okay? I want the full experience.”

You just laugh, “Fine, but you better be looking good too.”

“I always look good.” He runs a hand through his hair in typical Jimin style, laughing at himself as he says so.

~

“Something pretty, something pretty…” You mutter after staring into your cupboard for quarter of an hour, trying to come up with something decent to wear for the afternoon, “Something pretty.”

You start tossing items on your bed, trying to line up potential outfits and look at them, still unable to decide on anything.

“Why is this so difficult?” You whine and throw yourself down on top of the clothes.

_‘The clothes are getting crumpled!’_ A voice in your head scolds.

_‘Who cares?’_ You roll all over them to spite the voice.

_‘Come on dude. Get off.’_ It nags.

_‘No.’_ You stubbornly refuse.

_‘Why are you doing this?’_ The voice continues and you imagine it throwing its hands in the air and plonking itself down with a huff. _‘You can dress yourself, you do it every day. What’s so different about now? It’s just a mock-date anyway.’_

_‘I know, but what if I mess up? I haven't done anything like this in months.'_

_‘So what? Jimin hasn’t done it either and it’s going to help both of you in the long run. Now come on, I want to get dressed._ ’ It urges _._

_‘Argh fine.’_ You submit to the voice, _‘But I still don’t know what to wear.’_

_‘Get off the clothes and figure it the hell out!’_ The voice scolds, disappearing from your head with a _‘Poof!’_

You pull yourself up and give a little bow, apologising to the clothing for hurting them and pick a dress up, sticking the hanger over your head so that it looks like you’re wearing it. You look at yourself in the mirror and twirl once, but not liking the way it looks, you chuck it aside and pick the next thing up. You repeat same process until you run out of ideas, creating a ‘No’ and ‘Maybe’ pile. After actually trying on the ‘Maybes’, you’re proud of yourself for narrowing your options down to just two.

Your pride quickly fades and you start scolding yourself for being absolutely torn between them. Laying them out on the floor, you sit cross-legged between the two, in serious contemplation. It’s not long before you give up and busy yourself with packing the ‘No’ pile back into your cupboard. Afterwards, you come back to the clothes but walk away almost instantly and decide to try different hairstyles instead. When you’re all settled on the hair front, you know you have to make a decision so you force yourself to.

“Okay.” You exhale and stand in front of the full-length mirror, taking yourself in after you’re all dressed and made up.

Your long hair is a simple waterfall braid and your make-up, done to look effortless. You opt for wearing a cropped black mohair sweater and pleated sky blue skirt with black knee socks and block heel boots.

_This better be pretty enough!_ You throw your clutch down on your bed and look at the time. _Fifteen minutes left._ You join it on the bed and try to ignore the butterflies that start swarming around in your tummy. _Why do I feel so nervous?_ You check your phone and try to play a game but give up and lie carefully back, trying your best not to mess up your hair. _It’s just Jimin. It’s not a real date. It’s not a real date. It is not a real date._

After what feels like an eternity, there’s finally a knock at your door and you jump up, grabbing your bag and smoothing out your clothes. You take the few steps to the door and let out a breath before opening it. When you do, you’re astounded by the transformed boy or rather, the transformed man standing before you, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

“Holy shit! You look like an idol.” You blurt out as you take in Jimin’s styled hair and crisp emerald shirt tucked into his tight black jeans that fit perhaps too well.

He chuckles, “Pleased to meet you, it’s Angel Cakes, right?” He asks, extending his hand.

Remembering you’re not supposed to know each other, you nod, shifting your boots to your left hand and place the right in his.

“Park Jimin.” He says, raising your hand to his lips, “But you can call me Oppa.” He adds with a wink.

“You’re never gonna give up on that, are you?” You ask, shaking your head.

Ignoring your comment, he smiles and holds his arm out, “Shall we?”

Once outside, he opens the car door for you and he hops in the driver’s seat. Alone with him, the drive to the restaurant feels never-ending, the conversation, strained, and you begin to wonder why either of you ever thought this ‘Do-over’ was a good idea.

“It’s strange isn’t it?” Jimin asks, disturbing you from your thoughts.

“Hm?” You ask, unclear of his meaning.

“The air…it feels different today.” He says, stopping at a pedestrian crossing and glancing at you.

“Oh…yeah, it is a bit.”

“You know...Apart from that first time we met, I’ve never felt awkward around you.” He turns his attention back to the road and starts driving again, “It’s so weird that I am now when we spend hours alone every day.”

“Argh…” You grumble, shaking your head, “It is really awkward, isn’t it?”

He chuckles, “Uh-huh…It shouldn’t be, though.”

“Yeah, but it’s all your fault.” You say teasingly, “You had to go and call it a ‘do-over’.”

“What’s wrong with that? It is a ‘do-over’.”

“It’s so much pressure. I can’t mess up twice!” You exclaim and laugh, knowing how dramatic what you’re about to say sounds, “Do you even know how difficult it was for me to find something to wear? Your entire future hinges on how badly this goes.”

“It’s really not _that_ important, you know?” He laughs with you, “I just wanted to go off and have some fun with you but…” He steals a glance at you, “Did you really have a hard time picking something out?”

“Dude, you have no idea.” You say with a sigh and lean back in the car seat.

“Actually…” He glances at you again, “I changed so many times that Yoongi started moaning, saying I was going to give him motion sickness...” He scratches his chin, “Which ordinarily would make no sense but, you know Yoongi.”

The conversation settles into a more comfortable silence, akin to the one that envelops the rooftop on foggy mornings, but different in that behind it lies a quiet nervousness, a sort of anticipation that neither of you are quite willing to admit to, but do both feel and to some extent, enjoy.

~

After parking, he quickly runs around the front of the car to open the door and helps you out, slinging your arm through his and leading the way inside. In the restaurant he really seems to be in his element, from pulling out your seat for you, to the low-key flirtation, to listening intently to your stories and sharing some of his own.

“I had no idea you were this sweet.” You say, sipping on your wine, “One could almost forget this is supposed to be a mock-date.”

“Maybe one should.” He replies nonchalantly, trying to cut his meat. He looks up and smiles devilishly, popping it into his mouth, “I mean, why not?”

You giggle nervously, “Has anyone ever told you you’re a big flirt?”

“I’ve been told both those things.” He quips, adding a wink, briefly stunning you into silence as the distant memory of the morning you woke up entangled and pressed against certain parts of him flashes before your eyes.

You clear your throat and chuckle, shaking the memory off, “And that’s why not.”

As much as you try, it’s nearly impossible to not let go and just enjoy his company, so, contrary to what you said, you play along and have a good time, finding out all sorts of trivial things you hadn’t known about him before, things you’d never have known otherwise.

When he orders dessert -a heavenly couple’s dessert- that you have to lean in in order to share, you tell a lame joke and giggle. Expecting him to laugh, you lift your eyes to see him looking at you in a light seemingly altogether different from ever before. You awkwardly pull your spoon from your mouth, “Is something wrong?”

“No,” He smiles and brushes a stray hair behind your ear, “You look beautiful is all.”

You can’t help but blush and before you can even say anything, the waitress clears her throat, announcing her presence and you giggle at how Jimin starts in his seat, neither of you having noticed her there.

“Are you enjoying the pudding?” She asks loudly, “It’s the newest dessert on our menu, did you know…”

She prattles on about how it was prepared and where the ingredients came from, apparently unaware that it’s lost to the pair of you as he goes back to looking at you and you meet his gaze, ignoring the heat that threatens to creep up and your neck and set your cheeks aflame. It’s not long before he asks for the bill and you leave, heading off for the cinema.

When crossing the road on the walk over, he takes your hand and you let him, amused when he doesn’t let go once safely on the other side. He looks down at you and smiles, squeezing it once and continues on, walking hand in hand like it’s perfectly normal.

“Couple’s seat?” You ask once inside.

He shrugs, “There wasn’t much other choice.”

When the movie finally starts, you laugh as you look around, noticing that the cinema is still practically empty, not even half-filled, “I guess all the other seats were booked by ghosts.”

He chuckles, whispering, “They must be, but don’t worry, I’m here to protect you from them.”

“You’re gonna protect me from the ‘ghosts’?” You ask placing the word in air quotes.

He throws an arm around you and turns to the screen, “Of course. They’ll never bother you with me around.” You look at his hand resting on your shoulder and he scoots closer, muttering, “Why’s the popcorn so far?”

You soon forget about his arm, thoroughly enjoying the movie, only realising when the credits start rolling that you’d somehow migrated such that you were resting your head in the crook of his arm and your hands had found each other again. Abashed, you detangle yourself from him and scratch the back of your neck awkwardly, standing up and waiting for him to do the same.

“I didn’t mind your hand, you know.” He mentions, finally getting out of the seat.

“My hand?” You ask.

“Mmh. It was nice when you took it in the middle of the movie.”

“I did?”

“You don’t remember? You slipped your fingers between mine,” He intertwines your fingers with his and starts walking, “Just like this.”

You realise that it actually did happen that way and start turning pink, not quite sure what to make of your actions, suddenly aware of how different you now feel around him, knowing that whether the two of you had done it intentionally or not, this is definitely no longer a mock-date.

“You okay Angel Cakes?” He asks and you look up at him with a questioning look, “You went quiet for a while.” He explains. “We don’t have to hold hands if you don’t want to.”

“Oh no, I’m fine. I was just thinking.” You answer, to which he squeezes your hand again, urging you to elaborate, but you ignore it.

“What’s bugging you Angel?” He presses, stepping through the revolving door that leads to the parking lot.

“This thing…" You start off, not knowing how to phrase the question, "What are we doing?” You ask, hoping he grasps your meaning.

“Snow.” He answers, stopping abruptly and looking up at the early evening sky.

Although it’s not the first snow, you can’t help but fall victim to its beauty as you always do and shortly forgetting what you were fretting over, you smile and stick out your tongue to catch the frozen water. He looks over at you and chuckles before doing the same.

“Wanna dance?” He asks.

“Now?” You ask incredulously.

“Oh, come on.” He spins you around, not waiting for an answer, and places a hand at your waist, holding one of your hands while you perch your other on his shoulder. For a short while, the two of you move in a simple waltz, dancing in silence with the setting sun and falling snow a perfect backdrop. Feeling more comfortable, you decide to drape your arms around his neck and he smiles, moving closer to you to place his hands at the small of your back.

In the quiet you can feel the vibration from his chest as he starts speaking, his voice barely above a whisper, “Angel. I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my promise.”

With a questioning look, you draw back and look up at him, “What promise?”

“I promised you I’d go on a real date if we did this thing.” He reminds you.

“Oh…” You murmur, half-hopeful, half-scared of where he’s headed, “Why not?”

“Because…” He stops dancing and pulls your hands to his warm chest, “There’s this feeling…and I don’t want to ignore it anymore.”

“Oh…Well then don’t.” You say softly, the thrum of his heartbeat beneath your palms somehow feeling inexplicably right.

“Don’t?” He questions, tightening his hold.

“Uh-huh. Don’t.” You say, more sure of your reply.

“Angel…you know I’m being serious, right?”

“Oppa, I wouldn’t be standing here if I didn’t.” You say, moving closer to him.

“Oppa?” He echoes, the corner of his mouth upturned.

You pretend not to hear his question and return your arms to the back of his neck.

He chuckles and holds you even closer, the two of you hardly moving, just swaying gently together.

The drive home is much more comfortable than before, there being no difficulty in maintaining the conversation or any awkward lulls. By the time you get back, the sky is dark and the moon is high, smiling down along with the winking stars at the pair of you. Once again holding your hand, he walks you through the house, past his bedroom to yours, where you stand opposite each other with your backs against the inside of the doorframe. At first, neither of you say anything but just look at each other and eventually laugh.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning?” He asks, closing the little distance between you.

“Okay.” You manage, all too aware of his proximity, knowing what usually comes at this part of a date.

“Okay.” He nods with a slight smile, “Good night, Angel Cakes.” He bends and softly kisses your cheek.

Appreciating that he didn't go in for the kill, the response comes naturally, “Good night, Oppa.”

Still standing over you, he breaks out into a stupid smile and quickly pecks your lips, “Sleep well, Jagiya.”

You scrunch up your face and he quickly retreats with that goofy look still on his face, walking backward to his room and from there, he shoos you into yours, waiting for you to go in and close your door before he does.


	19. Changed how?

** Y/N: **

You close your room door and dive on to your bed, rolling around, not knowing what to do with yourself. You touch your lips, trying to recall what it felt like when Jimin pecked them, but the darned boy did it so fast that you barely felt those gorgeous plump lips of his.

 _We’ll have to fix that…_ You think naughtily to yourself and cover your eyes with your hands. The image of him intertwining your fingers with his after the movie flashes before your eyes and you examine your hands, which now feel different, as though being held in his warm grip had somehow altered them. You remember how the quiet beat of his heart increased gradually in pace, melting your own as it did. His scent that lingers on you -soft cologne mingled with soap and something spicy- fills your nose and mind as it wanders into every thought, completely inescapable.

You jump around on the bed while trying to decipher when you might have started liking him and drop your phone accidently. It having fallen underneath the bed, you sigh and climb off, blindly groping for it. You pull out what you think might be a vest along with the phone and when you get a proper look it, your giddy mood changes and you become sullen.

“Shit.” You mumble. It’s a pair of Jungkook’s underwear. You hadn’t spared him a thought the entire day and are overwhelmed by the guilt you feel for going out and having a good time with Jimin. Knowing it’s probably a bad idea but going ahead with it anyway, you decide to return the underwear.

When you knock on the door to his room, Seokjin flings it open with a look of disdain, “He’s inside. I’m going to the kitchen.”

He leaves the room and you enter timidly. Jungkook is on the bed with his laptop and headphones plugged in. He looks up when you come in and doesn’t spare you a second glance, looking back down at the computer before you even get the chance to smile at him.

You place the folded underwear at the foot of the bed and turn to leave when he pulls the headphones off and speaks up, “Please don’t seek me out again. I know I can’t force you to have feelings for me so I’ll be polite when we’re around the others but I don’t want your pity and I have no interest in being your friend either.”

When you open your mouth to speak, he places the phones back on his head and you nod.

“Okay.” You manage, understanding his attitude but still struck by his harsh words. You pause at the door, hoping his music is still turned off, “It was never my intention to hurt you. Had I known you’d even liked me a little bit, I would have ended things a long time ago.”

You shut the door and he lets out a staggering breath, “I know.” He taps the play button and a solitary tear rolls slowly down his face, not getting very far before being quickly wiped away by the back of his hand.

~

“Morning Angel.” Jimin greets, embracing you and kissing your cheek.

“Morning.” You whisper, briefly taking comfort in his sure arms when you notice that he’s practically freezing, “Why are you so cold?” You ask, automatically placing your hands on his icy cheeks.

“Oh…ah, I decided to stretch while waiting for you.” He leans into your hands, absorbing their warmth as he wraps his arms tighter around you with a sly smirk, “Wanna warm me up?”

“Jiminie!” You exclaim, pulling your hands from his face.

“Jiminie?” He asks with wide eyes, placing your arms around his neck, “I thought we fixed that problem.” You giggle and stick your tongue out at him and he pulls you flush against himself, “What were you thinking of anyway? This is all I was asking for.”

“Of course it was.” You chuckle, standing on the tips of your toes.

“Can we skip today’s run?” He asks, talking into your hair.

“Rooftop?” You inquire.

~

You’re pleasantly surprised when you see your sanctuary lit up by miniature lanterns and when you sit down, realise that Jimin has replaced the old blanket you used to sit on with a newer one.

“So this is why you were cold?” You ask, curious as to when he managed to prepare everything.

He smiles a lopsided grin and out of a backpack he brought up with him, he pulls a slightly crumpled, but still pretty, bouquet of flowers, “I should have had these when we met yesterday, but I only thought of it afterward.” He mentions, handing them to you.

“Oh Oppa!” You gasp, taking in their scent and thanking him with your eyes.

He blushes at the name and pulls out a flask with two mugs and pours steaming coffee into them, offering you one and you set the flowers down beside you, taking it with both hands. He puts his own mug down and moves so that he’s positioned behind you, with one leg on either side of you. He shrugs a blanket over his shoulders and you raise your arms so he can cover your knees. You lean into him as he drapes an arm around your waist and the two of you quietly sip on the warm liquid as you wait for the sun to show herself.

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long.” He admits and then brushes your hair aside and softly kisses the back of your neck, letting his lips linger for no longer than a second.

“Really?” You ask, turning a little to look at him, his face so close that you can feel every breath he takes.

“Mhmh.” He sounds in a low tone, smiling sheepishly. Your eyes flit to the lips that so gently caressed your neck, causing him to bite down on the lower of the two. He strokes your cheek with his thumb and touches his lips to yours. You look at each other and smile briefly before doing the same thing again, and again, slightly longer each time. Your mouth gives way to his and he pulls you closer, deepening the kiss. When he teases you with his tongue, you grasp the knee of his track pants to swivel your body around and can feel him grinning at the action. Nonetheless, he lifts you over his legs and sits you down on top of him, his lips not once leaving yours. Now with your hands in his hair and his pressing you impossibly close to him, his hot, full mouth envelopes yours and you move in time with him, the sweet kiss becoming urgent and passionate.

You completely miss the sunrise, the sky well-lit when the pair of you pause and look around. The blanket had, at some point, fallen off the roof and lays damp in the snow.

“We should probably go down.” Jimin murmurs at your ear, nibbling it softly, “Everyone else is probably waking up now.”

You roll your eyes and reluctantly nod, reaching up to his mouth once more.

~

“Why is our timing so fucked?” Jimin asks, shaking his head after having wolfed down the omelette you prepared. He gets up and refills your glass with juice before doing the same for himself and sits back down, grabbing the sides of your barstool and dragging you, along with the chair, closer to him. He places his feet on the footrest of your chair, on either side of yours and continues speaking, “Now we have to go home and I won’t get to start my days off with your just-woke-up-totally-adorable smile.”

You cluck your tongue, “We’ll just have to make the most of the next two days.”

“Is this permission to stay glued to you?” He asks, leaning in and wriggling his eyebrows.

“Who’s staying glued to who?” Yoongi asks, walking into the kitchen, Hoseok not far behind. He takes in the way you’re sitting, practically on top of each other and chuckles at Jimin’s hand on your knee, “Jagiya,” Yoongi says to Hoseok while pouring sachets of instant coffee into mugs, “It looks like we’re not the only ones with a secret.”

“Hyung!” Jimin scolds, alarmed at how freely they’re speaking.

“What?” Both boys ask him, and he starts making ridiculous, nonsensical hand signals.

“Oh, it’s okay, she knows.” Hoseok waves him off, having somehow understood what Jimin was trying to communicate. “Besides, we’re gonna tell everyone at the barbeque this afternoon.”

“When did this happen though?” Yoongi gestures to the pair of you and directs his words at you, “Just the other day, you were all up in Jungkook’s grill…” He looks at Jimin, “I actually started feeling sorry for you.”

“What?” Jimin asks in disbelief.

“I couldn’t help it; you were so…conflicted?” He explains, scratching his hair and recalling something, he chuckles to himself, “Remember that night you were mumbling her name in your sleep and then you fell off the bed right on to your-” Hoseok squeezes his shoulder and he stops, clearing his throat when he realises the look of horror on Jimin’s face, “Anyway, I take it that ‘do-over’ thing went well?”

You smile up at the boy, trying to hold in your laughter, “Uh-huh. Very well.”

~

** Taehyung: **

You fill a vase with water and arrange the bouquet given to you by Jimin in the morning, placing it next to your bed. Leaving one flower behind so you can press it, you try to get one of your old textbooks down from the top of your cupboard and the book nearly falls on your head, caught just in time by Taehyung who somehow managed to sneak into your room without you noticing.

“Oh, Taetae!” You greet, glad that the boy appeared when he did, “Hi.”

“Hi.” He says, tossing the book on your bed along with himself with a look of disgust, putting as much space between him and it, “What are you doing with that thing?”

You chuckle, “Well I’m not gonna read it, that’s for sure.” You plop down, opening the book and picking up the pink flower, “I wanted to press this.”

“You still do that?” He asks, chuckling, straightening out your leg and propping it up on his to massage your foot, “Remember when we were small, you pressed every flower I picked for you?”

“And my dad would get upset because I used his encyclopaedias to do it?” You ask, recalling the stint while fiddling with the petals, “There’s no way I could forget that.”

He scrunches up his face as he watches you struggle, “What made you buy flowers anyway? It’s almost time to go home.”

“Oh, I didn’t. Jimin-Oppa got them for me,” You explain, not paying much attention to what you’re saying, more focused on spreading the petals prettily, “That’s why I’m doing this.”

_Why the fuck would he get her- Did she just say Oppa?_

“Jimin- _Oppa_?” He asks, and now happy with the layout, you smile and shut the book closed.

“Yup.” You say, looking up at your best friend. “You guys are close, right?”

_But she makes a point of not calling him that._

“Me and Jimin?” He asks, looking back down while massaging your foot and you nod, awaiting his answer, “Well, yeah…why?”

You chew the inside of your cheek, “If things changed…between him and me…would you be opposed to it?”

His head snaps up and he stops what he’s doing, “What? Changed how?”

“You know…like if we were more than friends.” You explain, twiddling your thumbs.

“Like you and Jungkook?” He stares intensely at you.

“Uh…no.” You answer.

_Fucking hell. When did this happen?_

He closes his eyes and rolls his lips inward, his mouth forming a thin pale line. You shift your weight uncomfortably, about to say something when your door is violently swung open by a merry Jimin, “Jag- Oh. Taehyung.” He eyes the boy whose legs your foot is wedged between and coughs once, “Angel Cakes, they’re ready to start.”

“Give me a sec?” You ask Jimin delicately, retracting your leg.

Taehyung looks down at his now empty hands and laughs dryly as Jimin reluctantly starts closing the door, “A second for what?” He climbs off the bed and pulls you up with a smile, “Come on, we can’t have your new Oppa worrying.”


	20. You're very dangerous

** Y/N: **

You’re worried about Taehyung’s reaction to the news you just dropped and struggle to believe his sudden cheeriness but you know him well enough not to push further and instead walk to the door with him.

“Everything good?” Jimin asks, picking up on the strange mood.

“Of course.” Taehyung chirps, walking ahead.

Jimin looks at you with a question in his eyes and you shake your head. You thread your pinkie through his and he swings your joined hands back and forth as you walk down the corridor.

Outside, you let go of each other’s hands and Namjoon calls him over. You smile and take a few steps in Taehyung’s direction but he turns his back to you and pretends to be busy on his phone, so you walk over to Hoseok who’s bouncing around nervously.

“My palms are so sweaty.” He whispers to you.

You squeeze his arm, hoping to impart some courage, “It’s gonna be fine.”

Yoongi, who’s been helping Seokjin prepare the barbeque, sits down and orders everyone to do the same, complaining about how nothing is going his way. He tugs on Hoseok’s shirt a few times but when he doesn’t stop talking to you, Yoongi yanks him down. You laugh and move to sit next to him but Yoongi protests, “No-no. You guys are gonna make too much noise.” You pout and he winks at you, sighing as he says, “Jimin, come sit here please.”

Jimin, who was about to sit between Namjoon and Seokjin, looks up, trying not to smile as he walks over. Hoseok scoots closer to Yoongi and he plonks himself down in the open space, still trying to hold back his grin.

“So...everyone before we dig in...” Yoongi starts awkwardly, “Ah. So there's something that I want to explain.”

You can all see how nervous he is so rather than rushing him, everyone waits with baited breath before he says anything.

“Um...last year,” He wipes his palms on the knees of his jeans and starts picking at the ripped material, “So last year, things started changing for me. You know, I moved in here and we all kind of became good friends. And some of us became closer than others, right?”

"Yeah..." One of the boys answers.

He runs a hand through his hair and nods, his eyes flitting to Hoseok, “So back when we used to be roommates, Hoseok and I got really close...and well, some shit went down. But at the time…” He scratches his hair, “Uh, so that's why we changed rooms and whatnot...but anyway, I suppose you guys don't need to know everything. I don’t know if you can understand what I’m trying to say but, we just thought it’s important because we all live together so basically we wanted to let you know that we are, you know, together…like a couple,” Hoseok slips his fingers through Yoongi's and he smiles and glances at him, tearing his eyes away when he continues, “And we hope you guys will be able to accept that.”

“So you guys are in love?” Namjoon asks in the silence following Yoongi’s announcement.

Hoseok nods and answers, “I know it's a lot to take in but if you guys could try to understand...”

“What were you expecting though?” Namjoon asks defensively and Yoongi sits up straight, “I mean, how could you approach it like that?” Namjoon smiles mischievously, “The atmosphere was so heavy; I thought for sure you were going to tell us you have a terminal illness or something.”

Yoongi slouches again with a puzzled look on his face, “Yah! I’ve always had a girl in my bed, now I’m just supposed to tell everyone I’m madly in love with a guy? And he is actually our friend that lives with us?”

Namjoon just shrugs, “But isn’t this something we all knew already?”

They just look at him with dumbfounded expressions.

“You’re always disappearing and reappearing together, besides…” He giggles with a sly look, “I’m sure we’ve all walked in on you guys at some point or another.”

“You’ve walked in on us?” Hoseok asks while Yoongi buries his face in his hands.

“Well hello, when you go out with two of your friends and you already feel like a third wheel, then they ditch you and you go to the bathroom and see them coming out of the same stall, isn’t it kind of obvious?”

Seokjin laughs and adds, “Yeah guys…you’re not very discreet.”

As you recall the night the two of you came back from the club early, your eyes find Jungkook’s resting on you. He quickly looks away and clears his throat, “Congrats guys.” He winks, lifting his glass to them.

You can see the wave of relief wash over Hoseok and Yoongi as they start realising that no one is opposed to them and you get up to squeeze the pair tightly. You nearly bump right into Jungkook's chest as he comes around to shake their hands and he just looks over your head and moves you out of the way. Once again, as if you weren’t already feeling bad enough, you feel a twinge of guilt over the way things had happened and to add to it, Taehyung spends the whole barbeque being overly animated and makes a point of ignoring you, sitting as far away as possible and not even throwing a glance your way once. You try to keep up a cheerful outlook but struggle and start downing your drinks.

_This day should be so great. Yoongi and Hoseok are finally openly together …Jimin and I watched our first sunrise as a couple, had our first kiss, he even gave me flowers…and yet, why do I feel like shit?_

“Angel, eat this.” Jimin encourages, realising you’re past the starting line.

You shake your head and take another drink.

“It will make you feel better.”

You sigh, wishing that it actually could but open your mouth anyway just to please him. Jimin looks around to make sure no one is paying attention before quickly popping the samgyeopsal into your mouth and you smile weakly at him.

“Can we watch the sunset later?” You ask, pouring him a drink.

He smiles and you can tell he’s thinking of the sunrise you paid no attention to in the morning. Despite how you feel, it makes you blush and joke, “I’d actually like to see the sky this time.”

He rolls his eyes, “I know, right? It’s so annoying when people distract you.”

“So we’ll watch it then?”

He nods and clinks glasses with you.

After some time and one too many drinks, you go to the bathroom, needing to freshen up so you mumble something resembling an apology for leaving although no one notices, all absorbed in discussing plans for the holiday. You stand up too quickly and sway slightly. After steadying yourself, you make your way to the bathroom, wetting your face with cold water, relishing the painful sting that seeps into your scorching cheeks. The freezing liquid gets into your eyes and burns them, suddenly making your chest heave and you have to bite back the overwhelming urge to cry.

You stumble backward and bump into the bathtub, catching yourself before you fall in. You slump down against the chilly edge and then decide to just climb in and sober up a little, not wanting to go back and be ignored by your best friend just then. You lie on your stomach in the tub, letting the cool surface extract the heat from your body, simultaneously comforting you while you scold yourself for being oblivious to Jungkook’s feelings, cursing Taehyung for his reaction and behaviour and beating yourself up for not being able to understand him–the one person you always thought you did.

~

Eventually, you pull yourself together and roll over on to your back, now chilling in the empty bath, you look back at the events of the past few months _._

_I’m sure Taehyung is just worried that I’m rushing into this…He’ll come around in a few days._

The door opens and you freeze in a corpse-like position with your arms folded over your chest. Jimin walks in singing and laughs at his reflection as he stands in front of the mirror. You delight in how cute he looks when he notices his crimson cheeks and he chuckles and shakes his head, opening the tap to splash his face. You don’t want to disturb him and instead watch quietly, completely captivated by him, so much so that it’s almost too late before you realise he’s unzipping his pants.

You gasp and shut your eyes quickly, not wanting to see something you’re not meant to.  

“Angel?” He asks in a high-pitched tone.

You wave with one hand sticking out over the top of the bath and the other over your eyes. When you hear his zipper go up and him stepping up to the bath, you sit up and remove your hand. You slowly open your eyes and find him sitting on his haunches in right front of you with his head cocked to the side and eyes wide as he blinks comically. You laugh at the action and he smiles, “What are you doing in there?”

“I don’t even know.” You say, shaking your head.

He motions for you to move over and climbs in, “Ahh, it’s nice and cold.” He presses his pink cheek against the tiled wall and looks at you, arching his brow, “I can’t believe we have to go out tonight.”

“Why not? It’s the last night we all have together.”

He cries out and starts fake sobbing, cradling his head in his hands, “It’s gonna be too frustrating.” He looks up suddenly, as if getting an idea, “Wear lots of clothes, okay? Don’t even show your ankles.”

“My ankles?” You ask, giggling at his flattery.

He nods vigorously with a goofy smile.

“These ankles?” You extend your leg and pull your jeans up, exposing your forbidden ankle.

“Hajima!” He gasps and looks away, “Quickly cover them!”

You giggle mischievously and he asks, turning his face to check, “Did you put it away?”

“Aah-nii…” You sing teasingly, dangling your legs over the edge of the bath.

He sighs heavily and shakes his head, letting his eyes roll closed, “Angel…I’m a very sensitive man. You can’t just go around doing such dangerous things.”

“Dangerous?” You ask, shifting closer to him.

“Mmh. You’re very dangerous.”

“Does this count as dangerous?” You push, reaching up to kiss his cheek. He purposefully turns his head right before you plant your kiss and your lips touch.

“See, now you’ve infected me with your dangerousness.” He complains, laughing.

“Oops?” You offer.

“Oops? Oops?” He starts tickling you, “Wah…you’re not even going to try and take it back?”

“Take what back?” You ask between giggles, wriggling away from him.

“Your dangerousness. You’ve infected me, now you have to fix it.”

“Oh…” You look up at him and quickly peck his lips, “Did that work?”

“I don’t know…I still feel dangerous.” He strokes his chin, “Maybe try again?”

You’re more than willing to oblige and when you do, he excitedly moves closer to you, “I think it’s working, keep going.”

You crack up and peck him over and over again, he rests his hand on your hip, angling you toward him as he tries to deepen the kiss.

You giggle and pull away when he does, “Are you sure this is helping? If anything, I think you feel more dangerous now.”

“That’s precisely why we need to keep on, it’s spreading through my system, you see?” He tries to convince you, “If we don’t act quickly, I’ll get completely infected.”

~

As promised, he watches the sunset with you. You rest your head on his shoulder and neither of you say anything, enjoying the comfortable silence as the sky fades to darkness, remaining that way even long after the sun has made her exit.

“I’m going to miss you.” You sigh.

He takes your hand and strokes the top of it with his thumb, “Me too, but we’ll see each other. We can do a day trip and I’ll visit you as much as I can.” You nod and lean more heavily into him as he draws you closer. “Plus, we still have tomorrow and tonight…”

“Right, let’s have fun tonight.” You smile up at him, “Okay?”


	21. A hard time.

**Y/N:**

Bar you and Seokjin, everyone is already outside waiting to leave.

“Drive with us!” Yoona calls from inside Namjoon’s car, waving you over when you step out of the house. You jog up to the door and Jungkook climbs out, gesturing for you to get in.

You look between him and the car a few times, about to make an excuse to drive with Yoongi and Hoseok when he touches your arm and whispers in your ear, “Let’s not make things awkward, uh?”

You smile and climb in ahead of him, bewildered by his hand on your back and that he shields your head from potentially hitting the doorframe. When you scoot in, you light up at seeing Jimin in the car, noticing how he tries to avoid looking at you for too long.

“Unnie,” You say to Yoona, “You look so pretty tonight! Poor Namjoon-oppa is going to have his hands full.”

“You’re too sweet!” She gushes, “I should be saying that to you…Jungkook is probably having such a hard time holding back right now.”

You don’t know what to say but before the silence can get awkward, Jungkook speaks up and you flinch when he places a hand on your thigh, the heat from his palm making you very uncomfortable, “Ah! She always gives me a hard time…I suppose I should be used to it by now.”

Jimin’s body stiffens next to you and he glares at Jungkook’s hand with an intensity that could burn a hole in your leg. When you hint at Jungkook to remove his hand, he smiles at you and squeezes it once, “Oh…your stockings are pretty.”

“Yah, Jungkookah… let’s keep it PG, uh?” Jimin asks, lifting his hand, “I’m sitting here too.”

He laughs, “Ah, sorry Hyung.”

~

“You okay?” Jimin asks inside the club.

“Why? Oh, because of Kookie?” You ask, “Mmh, I’m fine. It was just unexpected.”

He shoves his hands in his pockets, “Is it wrong for me to say I think I can understand him?”

You shake your head, “I actually think I’m glad you do…Anyway, you wanna dance?”

“You think you can keep up?” He starts walking backward and pulls you to the floor with him, “I’m top of my class, you know?”

“This isn’t your class though…” You mouth, blowing a kiss as you break free from him and start moving to the EDM beat.

He stands with his arms crossed and tongue in cheek, shaking his head at you. You laugh and brush your hair from your face, beckoning him. He moonwalks over with a hilarious expression and dances all around you like a goofball in front of everyone. He finishes his little skit by twirling you around once and pulls you close to face him with his hands at the small of your back.

He starts rocking his body with the music now and you smile up at him, “Was that a public declaration or something?”

“Ani…” He looks around and drapes your arms around his neck, “I don’t think anyone saw.” A smile twitches at the corners of his mouth and his chest vibrates as he tries not to laugh at himself.

“Maybe you should stay away from alcohol tonight…” You suggest, “If you’re like this sober, then…”

“It’s all your fault! First you infect me with that dangerousness, then you come out in this outfit…ah…How am I supposed to act cool around you?”

“But my ankles are covered!” You giggle.

“You covered them with those stockings…did it have to be those ones?” He asks, referring to the stockings you wore the day of the ‘mock-date’.

You beam and turn around, having done it intentionally but not expecting him to notice. He pulls you close to him and whispers in your ear, “It was on purpose, wasn’t it?”

You turn your head to look at him and shrug, “Maybeee…”

He looks at your lips and you laugh again, “I didn’t know you’d have such a hard time.”

“I’m not having a hard time,” He scoffs, dragging his eyes to yours, “You are.” He adds with a wink.

~

** Hoseok: **

“Don’t they make the cutest couple?” Hoseok asks Taehyung who’s been watching you and Jimin from afar.

“No.” He answers to Hoseok’s astonishment, downing his drink, “No they don’t.” He puts his glass down and stalks off in a random direction.

_Is he still-_

“Jagi!” Tipsy Yoongi calls, running over to him, “Come upstairs, everyone’s there, it’s so much fun.”

“Not everyone…” Hoseok sings, pointing at you and Jimin.

“Ho, ho! And they say we’re not subtle…anyway, let’s leave them here. Come.”

~

** Yoongi: **

Given that it's the last day of college, on the next floor, a whole crowd of familiar faces are dancing around. Hoseok attacks the dancefloor with his moves when his favourite song comes on and Yoongi goes up to the bar and orders a couple of shots when a girl approaches him.

"Oppa!" She calls over the music to catch his attention.

He looks to his side and smiles brightly, "Suran?"

"I guess you weren't expecting to see me, huh?"

"I can't say I was, no..." He chuckles.

"We just came since it's the last day and all..."

"Ahh, I see..." He shifts his weight, "Are you having anything to drink?"

"No no, we can't have alcohol." She says, her hands going to her stomach.

He looks at her hands and tries to hide his surprise, "Oh...?"

_She can't be..._

She smiles again, answering his unasked question, "Yes, I am pregnant!"

"Wow!" He exclaims, "You really don't look like it though...No wonder I never see you out anymore..."

"Ahhh, you must have thought I was trying to avoid you, huh?"

He nods and the mood becomes sort of solemn, "You look really great though!" He says, trying to break the awkward silence. 

"Not bad for someone who's five months in, right?“

"Five months?!" He shouts in disbelief,  his face falling as realisation strikes him, "Back then we were still...we still..."

"Don't worry, you're not the father," She laughs, "...the timing doesn't fit." 

"So...is it a new guy's?" He asks awkwardly, "Sorry to pry."

"Not exactly... It's actually someone you know quite well."

"Really?" He asks, thinking of people it could be.

"Truthfully, I came here tonight to let him know... I know a club isn't the best place for this type of thing but we live far apart and I'm going home tomorrow, so...It will be fine, right?"

"Well, aside from myself, I don't think you go for jerks, so I'm sure it will be okay... Maybe just ease him into it a bit, you know? You don't want to freak him out."

Her eyes suddenly go wide and she grabs Yoongi's hands, "Oh gosh...why is he walking this way? Oh no...act natural, okay?"

"Suran, calm down...it will be okay." Yoongi reassures her.

"Hey Sexy..." Hoseok calls from afar, coming up behind him.

"Yah...can you at least try to behave in public?" Yoongi asks, moving Hoseok's hand from his belt.

"Why should I?" Hoseok asks, pulling him tighter and kissing his cheek.

Yoongi turns his face to throw Hoseok a dirty look but ends up laughing at his ridiculous puckering instead while Suran looks on, confused. As if suddenly remembering their conversation, Yoongi turns back to her, "Wait, where's that person you were talking about?"

She gives a small deflated smile, "Right behind you..."

~

** Y/N: **

"Where did everyone go?" You ask after dancing with Jimin awhile.

"I think they're all upstairs..." He murmurs in your ear.

"Oh, let's go join them then." You suggest.

"You bored of me already?" He jokes.

"Quite the opposite actually..." You giggle.

"Oh?" He pulls you closer.

"Oppa..."

"Angel..." He returns in a husky voice, nipping your earlobe.

"Chim-chim... This isn't what we agreed on..."

"I only promised to have fun tonight..." He mumbles against your neck, trailing his nose up along your jaw and letting his mouth find yours. Just when his hot kiss wins over your rational mind and you get into it, he quickly pulls away.

"This isn't right." He says, putting some distance between the two of you.

Your expression betrays you, perfectly portraying your disappointment at having him change his mind right after you decided to stop resisting him and you shy away a little, embarrassed. 

"It's not you." He tugs at your hand, "...I don't want to risk wanting to do other things...not so soon...not when we're drinking..."

"Oh, okay." You smile faintly, brushing your hair from your eyes. "Do you wanna go join the others?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you upstairs. I just need to go to the bathroom." He flashes a smile and squeezes your hand before disappearing into the crowd and you make your way to the next floor.

~

** Jimin: **

"So you're my replacement, huh?" Jungkook asks Jimin, taking a spot next to him at the urinal. 

"That actually was you watching us?" Jimin retorts, "Oh, and you don't honestly believe that, right?"

"It looked that way to me." Jungkook returns. "A word of advice? You shouldn't toy with a girl like her, she's very sensitive."

"She's sensitive?" Taehyung asks, barging into the bathroom and walking up to the mirror to examine the hickey on his neck. "You're the one hung up on her, she probably never even thinks of you."

"What are you so smug about?" Jungkook asks, smirking, "It seems I was right about her not wanting to go backwards after all."

"We'll see about that once I have her at home with me." Taehyung mutters under his breath.

"Yah..." Jimin walks up to him, "What did you just say?"

Taehyung turns around, leaning against the basin, "She's spending a couple of weeks with me... Didn't you know?"

"Are you sure that's still happening? After you acted like such a dick today?"

"We'll just have to see, now if you'll excuse me, there's a little bombshell outside impatiently waiting to ravish me." He says, about to walk out.

"Do you even love her?" Jungkook blurts out.

He scoffs and pauses at the door, "You ask that like you even know what love is."

After he leaves, Jimin pats Jungkook on the back, "Jungkookah... You and I have never had any problems. Let's not start now, okay?"

"Have a good holiday." He replies bitterly, shrugging Jimin's hand off and leaving the bathroom.

Washing his hands, Jimin sighs before his reflection and tries to reassure himself before walking out. He makes his way upstairs, struggling to find you once he gets there. 

"Oppa!" He suddenly hears you call. He whips around to see you waving frantically at him. He gets a tight feeling in his chest and smiles his goofy smile at you, making his way toward you.

"You good?" You ask, cupping his face, "I was getting worried you wouldn't come back..." You pout and he steals a quick kiss.

"Sorry, I ran into some people."

"Did they upset you? Do I need to go beat them up?" You ask. "You looked like a lost little lamb weaving through the crowd just now."

He laughs and makes a heart with his arms over his head, "They're just less fun than you..."

You exaggeratedly shudder at the cheesiness and he playfully narrows his eyes at you, shaking his head, "Where's everyone else?"

"I don't know... I've been looking for Tae but I haven't seen him."

"Oh, uh...I think he's occupied at the moment." Jimin says awkwardly.

"Really? That's so odd..." You shake your head but shrug it off, "Anyway, you wanna do shots?"

~


	22. Will you behave now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get kinda smutty/weird again...

** Y/N: **

Seeing as Seokjin had to take a very drunk Jungkook back home early with one of the cars, when the morning comes, you all try to squeeze into the other as you finally make the journey back. Yoona ends up driving with Hoseok ‘assisting’ from the passenger seat; in the back, Namjoon and Yoongi are passed out along with one of Yoona’s friends who insisted on coming with so she could ‘bond’ with Jin at the house. Being a little tipsy yourself, you’re seated atop hyperactive Jimin’s lap and the two of you talk nonstop, so much so that Hoseok drunkenly scolds you for distracting Yoona from driving and tells you to entertain each other.

“Entertain him?” You ask, giggling.

He giggles with you, “Can we do that here?”

You swivel around to face him and laugh, “Can we?” He shrugs and loudly smacks his lips against yours.

“Yah!” Hoseok turns around, “That’s not what I meant! Behave.”

As Jimin mimics him and pulls you closer, you find your hand between his legs and he notices, stopping mid-sentence and looking down at it. You giggle mischievously and biting your lip, start stroking him. With wide eyes, he stares mutely at you, his chest rising and falling more visibly as you go on.

“Waeyo?” You ask with your head cocked to the side, playing dumb as you enjoy what you’re inflicting, which you can feel by the growing bulge beneath your palm.

He clears his throat and chuckles, whispering, “I thought you were done being dangerous.”

“Why are you two so quiet back there?” Hoseok asks, turning around again and you stop what you’re doing just in time.

“Shh!” Jimin chides, “Can’t you see we’re trying to use telepathy over here?”

“Te- terepasie?” He asks, giving his signature stank face, “How is it that I’m the only sober one around here?”

Yoona shoots him a sideways glance and sighs deeply as she pulls into the driveway and turns off the car. At that, Yoona’s friend and Namjoon wake up and Yoongi -the living stone that he is- remains asleep. Namjoon slings him over his shoulder and nearly bangs his small head against the wall as he rounds the corner upon entering the house, warranting a scolding from Hoseok.

“Just give him here!” Hoseok demands, trying to pull Yoongi from him, “He’s not just a log that you knock into things like a dumb lumberjack. How would you like it if I did that to your girlfriend?”

“I didn’t even bump his head.” Namjoon mumbles, handing him over before taking Yoona by the hand and walking off to his room.

Jimin walks you to your room, “I should probably let you get your sleep…” He says, kissing you once, “Although, I really want to punish you…” He pulls you close, kisses you again and mumbles between kisses, “Really…” He starts moving to your neck, “…really want to…”

“Punish me? Why?” You ask kissing him back.

“You should know why…Dangerous woman.” He holds you at arm’s length, “But maybe this is a better way to deliver my punishment?” He chuckles, taking your hand and kissing the top of it softly, “Sleep well, Angel Cakes.”

You pout and wave to him, watching him walk backwards to his own room. After shutting your door, you sigh, feeling somewhat disappointed that he went to bed instead of spending the night with you, even if you just slept next to each other.

You’re about to climb into the shower when your phone buzzes, but you miss it and see three missed calls from Taehyung. Worried, you try to call back but there’s no answer so you take a nice, long, hot shower and afterward, slip on your favourite of your best friend’s shirts, climb into bed and try calling again. You’re just about nodding off when there’s a knock at your door.

Hurriedly, you jump out of bed and fling the door open, “Taehyung-oppa!” You exclaim as you do.

Jimin looks up at you, confused.

“Oh, Oppa...”

“Is everything okay?” He asks with a half-believable smile, coming into the room.

“I’m just worried about Tae, he isn’t picking up his phone…” You answer leaning into the now-closed door and look him up and down with smile, realising he’s wearing nothing but boxer-briefs and a black t-shirt. “What brought you here?” You ask, taking a few steps toward him.

“Take off your shirt.” He says authoritatively, recognising Taehyung’s shirt.

“But I’m not even wearing a bra…” You respond, taken aback.

“Good.” He smiles coldly, “Now take it off.”

You’re suddenly very hot and for the first time, feel shy in front of him. You quickly turn around to do as he says, fumbling with the buttons as you try to get it off. Feeling his breath on your neck, you stop and he runs his hands over yours, carefully undoing the buttons as he makes a trail of kisses down the back of your neck. When the shirt drops to the floor, pooling around your feet, he pulls his t-shirt over his head and guides it over yours, turning your face to his and he looks you dead in the eye, “You do not wear anyone else’s clothes from now on. Understand?”

You nod silently and he presses his hot mouth to yours, picking you up, “Good. Now, I don’t want a sound out of you.” You respond with a sultry smile as he lays you down on the bed and pins your arms above your head, “No touching me either…” A slow smile creeps across his face, “Or yourself for that fact.”

You’re about to protest when he snakes his warm hand under the shirt, firmly gripping your hip, angling you toward his pelvis and wrapping one of your legs tightly around him. He lets go of your arms to brush the hair from your face and he kisses you roughly, not bothering to even let you try to dominate the kiss. Enjoying this side of him, you keep your hands to yourself and eagerly go along with what he does, following his guide as you kiss him back. He bites your bottom lip as he starts grinding into you and trails his tongue along your jawline to suck at your neck.

Instinctively, your hands find and entangle themselves in his hair and he pauses and, in a low tone against your skin, warns, “I said no touching.”

Whining, you remove your hands and ask, “Well, what am I supposed to do then?”

He looks up at you and speaks into your mouth, “That’s not my problem.” He kisses you once and whispers in your ear, “This is your first and last warning. For every sound you make or time you touch me, I will give you a hickey.”

“That’s okay.” You say, shrugging.

He sighs and suddenly sucks hard at your cheek, chuckling as you squirm beneath him, confused as to why he’s chosen your cheek of all places.  He inspects his handiwork and repeats the process on the other side, leaving matching red marks, like apples on your face. “That was two words. Remember you have to go back home tomorrow.”

You gasp and he asks, “Will you behave now?”

You nod vigorously, holding your arms above your head again to his delight and he kisses you again, his faint stubble drawing fleeting pink lines on the skin it grazes. He secures both your legs around him, squeezing your arse with one hand, while letting the other roam northward to your breasts. You feel his curiosity as he caresses your breast, seemingly surprised by their fullness and even rakes your t-shirt up with his teeth to suck, first at your stomach, effortlessly finding and honing in on the sensitive spot that makes you flinch a little as he nibbles at it. He then pushes the shirt up further with his head as he kisses his way up to your chest, and upon seeing your breasts, lets out an audible sigh of satisfaction and you can’t help but chuckle. At that, he takes as much of it into his scorching mouth as he can and greedily sucks at the plump flesh, fondling the other and at the same time, moving against you. He then litters your torso with lovebites as punishment for your giggling and constant whimpering, brought on by his marvellous mouth.

It’s a vicious cycle, but one you’re more than happy to comply with as he focusses his attention solely on you, keeping you on edge for much longer than you thought possible. Your underwear is damp and your core hot as he strokes you while making a trail of red marks leading down to the top of the black material and chuckles at your radiating heat, making you blush. He presses his mouth to your centre once, and mumbles into your underwear, the vibration from his voice making you giggle, “Why am I doing all the work?”

You whine again as he pulls away and he spanks you, rolling over so that he’s underneath you, and he tells you to sit up. He places your hands on his barely-visible abs and says, “I want you to listen to everything I say.” You roll your eyes, having not been given permission to speak and he spanks you lightly again, squeezing your arse and repeating himself, awaiting your nod. You stick out your tongue at him but nod your head and he smiles, “Good. Now first, I want a kiss.”

You bend, bringing your face to his and your hair falls like a curtain almost in his face, tickling him, so you try to sexily whip your hair to the other side, earning a teasing “Wah…You’re pretty sexy, huh?” from him, making you scrunch up your face, but you stick it out, running your hand though your hair like him and give a wink before caressing his lips with your own and he opens his mouth to yours, letting you play with his tongue and you take full advantage, drawing it back and forth into your mouth as you would another part of him, which he seems to enjoy, moaning a little and pressing your centre even closer as you grind into him.

You leave him looking hungry when you pull away, sitting up again and with tortured eyes, he commands, “Lose the shirt.”

You obey without protest, having been waiting for the cue to do so. He smiles when you toss it and runs his hands over your exposed tummy, taming them quickly and settling them on your waist, sucking on his full lower lip before making his next request.

He traces the outline of your panties and bites his lip, rasping, “I want to watch you love yourself.”

Your neck turns crimson and the colour creeps up to your cheeks as you contemplate what he’s asking. Jimin’s taste is completely different from what you expected, and while it is more aligned to your own than you thought it would be, this is something you’ve never done for someone else’s pleasure before.

“I might just forget you’re here.” You warn, accepting the challenge.

He quickly nods, not relieving the pressure on his bottom lip as he continues to bite it.

You move first against him while caressing your inner thigh with one hand, placing the other on his stomach to steady you. Your breathing starts changing soon enough as you rely less on him and stroke the burning material between your legs. With his hands behind his head, he watches you atop him and you meet his gaze, sliding your hand beneath your underwear, feeling your wetness and taking it up to your clit as you encircle it. You raise yourself up a bit to slip two fingers between your folds and plunge them repeatedly within your depths. Knowing you’re soon to become weak at your own touch, you close your eyes to his captivated expression. You cup one of your breasts, massaging the flesh as you adjust to the third finger you’ve now thrust into your hot core, trying to keep your wits about you.

You feel him sit up and with his warm hands on the small of your back, he pulls you up and flicks his tongue over your hard nipple before filling his scorching mouth with the breast you’re neglecting and your heavy breathing morphs into soft moans as he lays you on your back, wrapping your legs tightly around him and he revisits every sensitive spot he found on your body, at times making you whimper. A knot nags at the pit of your stomach and you thrust deeper within yourself, unable to stand how overwhelmingly hot you feel and just as you’re about to come, you pull your hand out, unable to bear it but he suddenly thrusts it right back in and immediately, your walls spasm around your fingers. You cry out as your body shudders awfully against him without your consent, clutching him close to you and apparently, it’s enough to send him into overdrive as reacts similarly and you feel the expulsion of ejaculate against you.

Having not expected it, neither of you say anything, the only sound, a combination of both of your breathing and the erratic thrum of your heart beating in your ears. When your heart calms, you disentangle yourselves and lie on your tummy, looking over at him on his back. Feeling your gaze, he glances at you, grinning briefly before pulling a pillow over his head to cover his face.

“You good?” You ask, giggling.

“Mmh.” Comes the muffled reply.

You scuttle up to him and without warning, suck hard at the flesh of his neck to leave a hickey, chuckling at the little achievement and he removes the pillow, looking at you questioningly.

“What?” You ask, “You’ve littered my whole body with lovebites! I think I deserve to give you one, don’t you?”

He pulls you back on top of him and kisses you sweetly, and you can feel him smiling, making you grin in return as you give into his now-gentle mouth.

~


	23. That's not my problem.

** Y/N: **

Reminiscent of the time he accidentally fell asleep in your bed, you awake, limbs entangled with Jimin’s and you softly grind your centre against his and he runs a finger down the middle of your bare back, making you shiver slightly.

“Morning Angel.” He whispers in your ear, his waking voice husky.

You lift your head a little to look at him and he kisses your forehead, stroking your hair as you burrow your head in his neck and mumble against his skin, “I don’t want to go home.”

He shushes you, drawing you closer and you both close your eyes to the reality that you’ll rarely get to see each other over the next couple of months, already missing this sweet moment. After some time, you start hearing some movement elsewhere in the house; what sounds like Seokjin trying to usher a girl out without anyone noticing and shortly after, you hear him humming as he starts cooking up something, presumably hangover soup. Namjoon is also up and goes off somewhere with his girlfriend. You know it’s time to get up, but neither of you say anything, indulging one last time in just being with each other.

Eventually though, you roll off him and watch him climb out of your bed. You forget that he chucked his boxer-briefs after you were done having fun and gasp when you see his perfectly sculpted arse. Blushing, you cover half of your face with the duvet, but leave your eyes poking out like the pervert you are. He chuckles and turns around with a fluffy heart-shaped scatter cushion covering his manhood.

“Yah, why are you acting so shy?” He laughs with his whole body, scolding, “You’re looking anyway!”

With your knees pulled up to your chest, you shrug and answer, “I can’t help being curious, you look like you were sculpted by gods or something.” Giggling you add, “You genuinely make me shy though! I don’t know how…”

He poses, looking up with an arm outstretched and you cackle when he almost drops the pillow and he crawls back on to the bed, bringing his face very close and pecking you once before bouncing off, pausing at the door to say, “I’m so sorry about your face, I had fun though, so don’t hurt me.” He then dips his head and dashes out of your room and you hear his room door go shut a second after.

_My face?_

You get up and open your cupboard to see yourself in your full-length mirror.

_Ho…ly…shit._

Upon seeing your face, you burst out laughing in disbelief and quickly start worrying about how much make-up you’ll have to wear. Your cheeks, chin and jawline are all red-spotted and your lips are a mosaic of blue and purple. There’s a trail of bites from your neck down to and between your boobs and a few random ones around. You smile to yourself seeing two small clusters, close together on either side of your belly button, forming the letters ‘J’ and ‘M’ respectively. Even your inner thigh is marked and you thank your lucky stars for the cold weather and your love of winter clothes.

~

** Taehyung: **

Waltzing into the house in the morning as if he had a splendid night, Taehyung breezes past his housemates in the kitchen with no more than two words. Coming into the hallway, he stops in his tracks seeing Jimin sneaking into his room with nothing more than a small pillow, almost certainly yours, covering himself. He feels an overwhelming surge of anger and storms up to your room door, but spends some time outside, collecting himself before entering. When he does, he nearly trips over his shirt on the floor and stares confused at it.

“Taehyungah!” You scold, trying to cover up.

He turns to stone when he catches sight of your playfully bruised body and his voice cracks when he tries to speak. You urgently gesture for him to turn around and he takes a while to register, eventually managing a soft “Sorry.”, as he turns. You quickly throw on Jimin’s t-shirt and walk up to him, tapping him on his shoulder to face you.

He avoids looking at you, staring at the space to the left of your head.

“Taetae…”

“So…why’s my shirt on the floor?” He asks with a forced smile.

“Oh…uh…Jimin didn’t like me wearing it…” You answer softly, to which he just scoffs.

_I guess he does feel threatened by me._

“Did you give yourself to him?” He pries.

“Tae!” You exclaim, embarrassed.

“What? Can’t I ask? I saw him leaving butt-naked!”

You sigh and cross your arms, “We’ve barely been together a week, do you know me like that?”

He smiles and cups your face, “So you didn’t?”

You shake your head, “And my virginity isn’t some sort of present, you know?”

He kisses your forehead, “I know, I know.”

“So, did you just get back? I heard you ‘totally scored’ last night.” You ask, sitting down on the floor, quoting Namjoon.

“Mmh, I did.” He says, yawning, laying his head on your shoulder, “Not the scoring, just the getting back part.”

You lean your head on his, poking at the hickeys in his neck, “Your neck suggests otherwise.”

He chuckles dryly, opening one eye, “Well, she was just a stand-in for someone else, so is it really a win?”

You nudge him in the ribs with your finger, “Ooh, is there a girl on your mind? Is that why you’re so odd these days?”

He shrugs and changes the subject, “We’re still taking your car, right?”

“Well how else would we get home?” You giggle, about to scold him for his poor attempt at trying to change the topic, but instead let it go, “Are you packed yet?”

He shakes his head, “I thought we were gonna help each other.”

“Does this mean you’re finished with your tantrum?” You ask.

“I still don’t like this situation, but it’s not like I’m going to end our two decades together just because of this.” He says sleepily.

You sigh, “I can’t believe we’ve been friends for so long…Aren’t you tired of me?” You ask, lifting your head.

“Ima go take a nap, uh?” He grins at you.

“Yah! Taehyungah!” You whine.

He stands and pulls you up with him, “Come wake me in a couple of hours.”

~

** Y/N: **

It’s a hassle covering up your blemished skin convincingly without going overboard on your make-up and you decide to get your revenge on Jimin, knocking politely on his room door. He opens it and you smile innocently, driving him backward with your hands on his chest. Flustered, he protests, falling back on to his bed and you quickly pounce, pinning him down and nibbling at the little flesh between his eyebrows, trying to leave a mark.

“Aaahh! Angel Cakes!” He squirms as you do his cheeks too, “I’m sorry, I am! Annggelll…”

You quickly scramble off him when you hear Yoongi sigh heavily and look over at the other bed, seeing him lying facing you with a disapproving expression. You smack Jimin’s shoulder, chiding, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

The two of you excuse yourselves and hurry to the kitchen and dish breakfast, greeting Seokjin and a rather blue Hoseok as you enter. You eat and ask Seokjin about how Jungkook is feeling this morning after completely fucking out the night before, while Hoseok sits staring into his bowl.

“Yah, but did you get into a fight last night?” Hoseok asks Jimin, for the first time looking up.

“No, I wasn’t even that drunk.” He answers, slurping up the soup.

“Obviously, she did that.” The eldest boy says, pointing his spoon at you.

Jimin rolls his eyes, turning to you, “What am I supposed to tell my mother?”

You snicker at the emerging bruises on his face, “That’s not my problem.”

He bares his teeth at you and you kiss the shoulder of his jersey, giggling as you do.

“You two are so gross. Can’t you go show off your happy relationship somewhere else?” Seokjin asks, gagging.

“Hyung, can’t you let the rest of us remain asleep when you let your girl out of the house?” Jimin fires back, making his voice deep as he imitates Seokjin, blowing his signature kiss, “Oppa will see you soon.”

The older boy stares at him with his tongue in cheek, “Keep talking.”

Hoseok excuses himself and sulks off down the passage, feet heavy as he walks.

~

** Yoongi: **

Hearing Hoseok’s familiar knock at the door, Yoongi turns to face the wall, pretending to be asleep. Hoseok enters quietly and locks the door behind him, sitting at the edge of his bed.

“Yoongi-yah…” He croaks, reaching for but not quite touching his boyfriend.

Yoongi remains still and he sighs, “Yoongi, I know I really fucked up and I don’t expect you to forgive me but can you please just hear me out?”

The boy turns to face him and he runs a hand through his hair, and starts talking, “About Suran…I know I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t want to dig up old mistakes when we were finally happy.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes, “You should have been honest. Why would you even do that in the first place?” Yoongi asks.

“Ah… After we had that big fight that time, I ran into her on campus and I don’t know…I was pissed off and then she asked if I was okay and if I maybe wanted to go for a drink, and then we did and I…I thought she must be damn good at what she does if you were still with her when you said you loved me, and I know it’s so fucking stupi–”

“So, it’s my fault?” Yoongi interrupts, sitting up.

“No, that’s not what I’m saying.” Hoseok pleads, “It was a stupid, impulsive decision and if I could take it back, I would.”

“Well yeah, you got her pregnant… Who wouldn’t take it back?” Yoongi mumbles.

Hoseok closes his eyes and says quietly, “Do you have to throw that in my face? She said she was on the pill so we thought it was fine.”

“Fine?” Yoongi sneers, “What about me? Huh? Was it fine to just go behind my back?”

“Yah! I know it’s messed up that I slept with her and I feel terrible about it, but you weren’t dating her and you definitely weren’t dating me either, so do you really have a right to be this way?” He stands up, getting angry. “I took all the shit you threw at me last night, even when you passed out and cursed me while throwing up all over yourself and your bedding, I cleaned you up and took care of you and everything.” His chest heaves more visibly as he gets riled up, “I’ve explained my reasons to you and even if it’s not what you want to hear, you know what? It’s the truth and you hurt me so much back then, but I was understanding because you were struggling within yourself!” Hoseok sputters, on the verge of tears.  “You’re not the only one who feels like shit right now! I just found out that I’m going to be a fucking father and my whole world just got turned upside down! I get it if you’re mad but can’t you at least try to do the same for me? You’re too fucking selfish Yoongi!” He struggles to breathe, shoving him.

Yoongi gets up and pushes him back, “Don’t come and act all righteous now, why the fuck did we have fights back then, huh? Because you were understanding? I don’t think so. We fought because I couldn’t change fast enough for you!”

“That’s not true and you know it.” Hoseok mutters, looming over him, “I could wait for you to figure out what you wanted, but did it make any sense for you to flaunt her in front of me and fuck her every single day while I was in the next room trying to believe that you really were in love with me?”

Yoongi throws his hands up in the air. “Oh my God! I was greedy and could have been more considerate of your feelings, I know. But didn’t we already work through all of this? Why are you still holding on to it?!”

“The point is that you’re doing it again! Can’t you see that?” He exclaims, wearily rubbing his face, “Maybe this holiday is for the best.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Yoongi asks, taken aback.

Hoseok closes his eyes as it dawns on him, “We need to take a break.”

_No, no, no…I didn’t mean for this…_

“But Hoseok-ah…” Yoongi’s voice quavers, a ball in his throat choking him. He reaches for him and he pulls away.

“I’m going to have a kid, Yoongi.” Hoseok says tiredly, suddenly looking aged and worn out, “Things will be different, I need to focus on Suran and my parents, all the other things that’ll come with it. Then when the baby comes…” He sighs, “…I just won’t have time to deal with you too.”

“Deal with me?” He asks.

“Yoongi, I’m going to need someone who can support me and you’re already acting like this.” He scratches his head, “Can you really be happy this way? You need to think about this as much as I do.”

“Stop being so dramatic! Do you really think that I wouldn’t help you?” Yoongi grips his arms, shaking him, “I don’t need a break. Hell, I may be mad today, but that’s only because this situation is fucking weird! No. Okay?” He cups his face in his hands and delicately brushes a tear as it rolls down his warm cheek, his tone becoming soft and pleading, “We were fine- We were so much more than fine just yesterday. You’re scared and I get it that it won’t be the same, but that doesn’t mean we have to end things. I’m sorry, but no.”

Hoseok peels his hands off and steps back, “I’m not saying we should break up. But just for now at least… I need to take some time to figure things out.” Hoseok explains before looking at his frantically buzzing phone. “Uh, my parents are here.” He looks up apologetically, “I’ll speak to you soon, okay?”

“Hoseokah…” He calls weakly after his boyfriend as he ducks out of the room, leaving a shrilling silence behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah... To me she's still a virgin, that kind of stuff she did with Kookie is stuff she would have done with Inho too when she was the 'virgin girlfriend'... Just for anyone who may be confused by that line with Tae, sorry.


	24. It's not like that.

** Y/N: **

After loading the last of your things into your car, Jimin whacks the door closed and turns to look at you leaning against the side of it with your hands behind your back. He steps in front of you, a hand on each side of you on the roof of the car, and you flatten yourself further against the metal, pretending to be flustered. He chuckles and moves closer to you, bringing his face near. He steals a frustratingly quick kiss and looks around.

“Oppa!” You cry, tugging his shirt, “You have to stop doing that.”

He sighs and narrows his eyes at you, without another word swooping in and kissing you sweetly.

You kiss him back and when he tries to pull away you whine, imploring your tongue’s entrance and he coyly lets you in. You lace your fingers into his soft, black locks and he mumbles something against your mouth, his hands pressing you eagerly to him as he leans more heavily into you. Not once do your lips leave his as you pour yourself into the fiery kiss and before long, he’s hoisting you up and wrapping your legs around his waist, using the poor car to maintain balance while your mouths continue to dance a hot and passionate, but still sweet and playful dance.

The front door to the house bangs closed, warning the two of you to stop but the sound seems distant as you’re wholly wrapped up in each other and only when Taehyung clears his throat loudly, do you move apart. Your head is filled with the scent and taste of him as he sets you on your own two feet and you’re sure you look a little dumb, your brain foggy and lips still tingling as your best friend speaks to you. Despite how hard you try, knowing all too well his dislike of your relationship, you struggle to hear even a word he says, distracted by Jimin’s now extra pink, kiss-swollen lips which he makes a show of slowly dragging his tongue over, most surely for your amusement and you scold yourself for giggling.

“Oh my gosh, just get in the passenger’s seat, will you?” Taehyung exclaims, exasperated.

He finally catches your attention and you protest, “No, no. I want to drive.”

“Too bad. Just say goodbye and let’s go.” He commands, climbing into the driver’s seat.

Jimin steps toward the driver’s door, wanting to yank it open and defend you but you quickly reach up to and deeply kiss your boyfriend, smiling as he sighs into the brief moment before you pull away and let him hold you tightly as he whispers, “I’ll see you in a week, uh, Angel?”

You nod into his chest and he presses his lips to the top of your head. You peck his cheek and climb into the car, waving with both hands and twisting your body to see him as Taehyung pulls out of the driveway.

“You know, it’s not like you’ll never see each other again.” Taehyung grumbles, grimly eyeing the boy in the rear-view mirror as he waves back, staying until the car turns into the next road, “It’s just a holiday.”

“I know, but he’s just so…” You sigh, facing the front again, “You know…”

“Annoying? Dumb? Clingy?” He offers.

You hit his arm, “No, he’s sweet and caring and I really like him.”

He rolls his eyes, “I really don’t see why.”

“Well you must have at some point, given that you tried to set us up.” You remind him, peering out at the dull, grey sky, “It’s really all because of you that we’re even together.”

“Thanks for the reminder.” He mumbles sarcastically.

“Argh…Just wake me when you feel tired.” You give up, rearranging yourself in a semi-foetal position, quickly slipping into dreamland.

~

You awake surrounded by a comfortable darkness, warm and satisfied as you pull your duvet closer around you, snuggling into your pillow. Its scent is all too familiar and you grin happily to yourself, feeling oddly like a little girl again. It’s not long before you fall back asleep and when you arise next, dull rays of silver sunshine peek through the curtains, casting light on the cosy walls of Taehyung’s bedroom.

Stretching yourself out on his bed, you know you must have been asleep for very long and realise your last memory is of watching Taehyung drive as you surrender to the call of sleep. You’re aware that you’re alone in the small bed and roll yourself up in the blankets, not wanting to lose their warmth as you go in search of your friend.

Yawning, you stumble out of the bed and trip over his foot, falling on the floor beside him with a thud. You want to whack him but his peaceful demeanour won’t let you and you sigh, checking the time. It seems the sun’s just about risen, so rather than wake the whole house, you lie down next to him instead. For a moment, he seems troubled, knitting his brow and mumbling something incoherent, so you stroke his head, tenderly massaging his scalp, smiling as his expression smooths out. The floor is cooler than his bed, and he feels slightly cold to the touch, so you add your blanket to the mix of his and crawl underneath them, napping while you wait for him to wake.

When he does, he pokes you in the side and asks what you’re doing on the floor. Groggily, you open your eyes and scold, “Did you sleep here all night? It’s fucking cold.”

He rolls his eyes, “Well I can’t very well sleep with you, now can I?”

“Why not? You always do, anyway.”

“You completely freaked when I saw you in your underwear yesterday.” He reminds you.

“Yeah, but you know why that was.” You dismiss and thinking you can catch him out, ask, “So, who changed me into pyjamas?”

He sighs and shakes his head, “You’re still wearing the same clothes, hun.”

You lift the blankets, checking, “Oh...”

You know you should be relieved that he’s trying to behave ‘appropriately’ now that you have a boyfriend but his distance feels alien and sits funny with you.

“Is my stuff still in the car?” You ask.

“Yeah, but there’s still a bunch of your clothes if you want to go shower, oh and your old vanity is over there somewhere.” He gestures toward his cupboard with heavy lids and you let him nod back off to sleep.

Getting up, you open his cupboard and find it as it always is, messy with items of your clothing muddled among his, and you try to pull some of your clothes from the chaos without letting anything fall. You go over to his drawers and find a stash of your underwear beneath your vanity case and you chuckle to yourself. Ducking into the bathroom, you grab a towel from the cabinet and quickly climb into the shower, trying to evade the cold. Your teeth chatter as the water takes its time warming up, but once it does, you melt beneath the scalding heat, enjoying it thoroughly.

Afterward, you get dressed in your comfy clothes and nearly bump right into Taehyung’s mother as you close the door behind you.

“Omonie!” You greet, seeing the woman for the first time.

She looks at you questionably but smiles, “Did you rest well? You were sleeping so soundly when Taehyungie carried you in yesterday afternoon, you didn’t even stir at the smell of the delicious food I made.”

You laugh, “Ah, I wish I did.”

“You must be so hungry by now, come to the kitchen and we can make breakfast together.”

You help the woman cook and Taehyung’s brother comes along to set up the table, hugging you tightly before asking if you hurt yourself.  His mother clucks her tongue at him and you wonder what it’s all about. Soon enough Taehyung emerges from the room and rubbing his face, greets as he plonks himself down.

“Did you get hurt too?” His brother giggles as he asks and Taehyung freezes when he sees you. You realise what all the weirdness was about and blush, your hands going to your face.

“It’s not like that.” You say, about to apologise for your hickey’d up appearance.

His mother giggles, her eyes flitting between the two of you, “It’s not like what?”

Her response confuses you and she smiles, “Why don’t you go cover up, uh? And take him with you before his father joins us.” She gestures at Taehyung.

You can only imagine what she must be thinking but she doesn’t let you get another word in, so you sheepishly head off to the room with her son and awkwardly sit on his bed, digging foundation and concealer out of your handbag.

Matching the colour to his skin tone, you apply and blend the make-up on his neck as he sits stiffly, waiting for you to finish.

“I guess my mother is still our biggest shipper, huh?” He says, chuckling timidly.

“It would seem so.” You smile up at him, before moving to his mirror to do your own face. The marks are much easier to cover than the day before, having faded substantially.

He watches your reflection with an odd expression and you wonder if he’s thinking of the days when covering each other’s markings in this room was routine.

“How come so much of your things are already unpacked?” You ask, trying to make conversation.

“Oh, I came home a few weeks back and thought I’d bring some stuff up, so it’s not too much to do now.”

“I could have come up with you.” You pout.

“It was a spur of the moment decision.” He answers quickly, scratching the back of his head, “I thought you would be too busy studying.”

“Oh, okay.” You answer, seeing that the topic is only making him more uncomfortable. “Hidden?” You ask, turning to face him.

He quickly looks you over and nods, “You’re good to go.”

“Yay! I’m starved. Let’s go eat.”

~

The day, like most Sundays, passes with a lazy ease and in the evening, when Taehyung’s parents wind down for work the next day and his siblings head off to bed, you sit with beer and popcorn, easily decimating him with whatever game you play and he eventually gives up with a sigh, resigning himself to his drink. The two of you flip through the channels for a while, but nothing catches your attention and you end up looking at each other, for the first time not knowing what to do in the other’s company. It still being too early for bed, so you can’t even make that excuse and scratch the back of your neck.

“You wanna go for a stroll?” He asks after some time.

You nod and pile on a couple more layers of clothing before quietly heading out into the nippy night with him. Walking a familiar route around the neighbourhood, you don’t need to talk, instead marvelling at how little the area has changed as you’ve grown up. You go up to a nearby park and sit side by side on the same swing set you’ve been sitting on for years, the still silence following you here too. A warm, orange glow makes you glance over at Taehyung and you double-take at the sight of him lighting up a cigarette.

“Since when do you smoke?” You ask in a voice more squeaky than you would like.

Looking up at the stars, he chuckles softly and takes a deep drag, his eyes fluttering closed as he slowly exhales through his nose, savouring the cool, subtle burn of the white menthol smoke as it travels through him and dissipates into the air.

“Relax Babe, I’ve had this box for ages.” He says coolly, flipping the top open to show the almost full container as he pulls on it again. “Want one?” He offers with the lit cigarette between his lips.

Quite honestly, you find the minty harshness of its scent oddly refreshing, but shake your head, gesturing for him to go on.

He pops a sweet into his mouth on the walk back home and once inside, you both head straight for bed and when he starts making up the floor, you surprise yourself as you feel a surge of anger and, unable to stop yourself, start scolding, “Don’t be stupid Taehyung! You’re going to catch a cold sleeping on that floor. It’s sweet of you to do but you’re making me uncomfortable. Now, get into this bed and stop acting like a stranger.”

“It makes me uncomfortable to share a bed with you when you’re dating someone.” He retorts, hesitating before adding, “You should feel that way too.”

“Why? It’s not like I want to spoon or anything,” You roll your eyes, pointing at the opposite end of the bed, “We can lay the way we did as kids. I will sleep with my head on that side.”

“But still-” He starts and you interrupt him.

“Are you really gonna sleep like that for the next two weeks?”

He sighs, “You know, most people would be grateful that I’m doing this out of my own?”

“But you’re being weird and I don’t like it.” You mumble, turning your back to him.

“Well, you can’t have everything, Hun.” He mutters, his pillow crunching under his head as he throws himself down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long to update... University is a bitch.


	25. I'm not jealous!

** Hoseok: **

Staring up at the blank ceiling, Hoseok recalls how he did the same the previous morning, having delayed getting out of bed then too.

_The usually comforting smell of his mother’s cooking made him feel nauseous. Shutting his eyes tightly as he mustered the courage to leave his sanctuary, he rehearsed what he’d prepared to say to his parents and played the scenario out in his head once more._

_“Okay.” He mumbled to himself, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed, “Let’s just get this out of the way…”_

_Barefoot on the wooden flooring, he made his way to the kitchen and greeted his mother. He’d set the table in silence, listening to her humming a sweet song softly to herself. His father joined them and kissed his mother on her cheek as he poured his coffee. Plonking himself down opposite him, he asked, “So, when are we meeting this Min Yoongi guy?”_

_“Sorry?” Hoseok asked, starting at the mention of the man’s name._

_“Your boyfriend. Isn’t that his name?” His father asked over his mug._

_“You want to meet him?” Hoseok asked, shocked, given that his parents had never really accepted or even spoken about his sexuality after he’d talked about it with them._

_“Well, it’s about time, don’t you think?” His mother asked back._

_Sighing with a turning stomach he answered, “I really don’t know.”, then under his breath he mumbled, “We’re not in a good place right now.”_

_“Not in a good place? Why?” His father queried, putting his mug down, affectionately asking, “Did he hurt you?”_

_“It’s not his fault. I did something terrible…” Hoseok shook his head, putting on a brave smile, changing his mind about telling them just then, “…but never mind that, let’s eat.”_

_Aware of his parents and sister eyeing him warily, his heart was thudding irregularly in his chest, but they said no more about the subject and instead made the most of their Sunday breakfast._

Suddenly, the sound of his phone ringing shrills through the room and snaps him from his thoughts. Digging around in his bed for it, he finds the device and sighs seeing the caller.

“Morning!” Suran sings into his ear and he holds the phone a little bit further away.

“Oh, Suran. Hi.” He answers groggily.

“Sorry, were you still sleeping?” She asks quietly.

“Not really, anyway, don’t worry, I didn’t forget about our meeting.” He sits up in bed, “I’ll be there in an hour.”

~

** Y/N: **

Stepping over Taehyung on the floor, you climb out of bed and head to the kitchen to get some breakfast. The house is quiet, the only sound that of your cereal being ground between your teeth as you chew angrily, lost in thought.

_Taehyung is such a dumbass, I mean, does he have to make the situation more uncomfortable than it already is? I know it’s weird for him but we’re stuck here together, can’t we at least be normal? Why did my parents have to extend their trip? Why was I stupid enough to encourage them to do so? Why did I agree to stay here while they’re gone? Argh, maybe I’m the dumbass._

“Was the cereal rude to you or something?” Taehyung grumbles, pouring himself a bowl.

You look over at him and sigh, pushing your bowl away, “It’s not the cereal.”

“Well then, don’t take your anger out on it. It’s not fair.” He stretches, ruffling his hair as he sits down opposite you, “You should get dressed if you’re done, we have shit to do.”

You look at him questioningly and he explains, shooing you with his spoon, “My mom’s left an errand list.”

~

** Hoseok: **

“Hi!” Suran greets, standing as Hoseok approaches her in the café.

“Hey…” He responds, avoiding her gaze as he sits down and removes his sunglasses.

“So… How’s it been back home?” She asks, trying to make conversation.

“I haven’t told my parents yet.” He answers curtly. “I will, obviously, but I haven’t yet.”

“I wasn’t asking that…” She says softly, blinking rapidly, but she smiles and answers cheerfully, “But that’s okay, you’ve only been home a day now…”

He nods, still looking out the window with his arms crossed.

She scratches the back of her neck, thereafter folding her hands in her lap, “Hoseok-ah…”

“Uh?” He briefly glances at her.

“I have to go to the doctor later this week. I’m due for my second scan.”

“Okay.”

“Would you like to come with me?” She asks hopefully, “I’ve already delayed it, in case you wanted to see for yourself.”

He turns to look at her, “This isn’t some kind of sick joke, right? You’re really having a baby?”

She nods eagerly, her hands on the table, retracting before they reach for him, “ _We’re_ having a baby…” Her words fumble as they fall from her lips, “It really is yours, there’s no other possibility, I wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

“ _We’re_ …” He repeats slowly, tasting the word in his mouth, running his fingers through his hair as he sighs. He notices how she’s trying not to come off too eager, but that she’s clearly a nervous wreck right now, and thinking about how scared and alone she must have been, going through all this on her own over the past few months, he doesn’t realise how intensely he stares at her.

“What?” She asks, disturbing him from his thoughts, “You’re looking at me like I’m an alien.”

“Why did you wait so long before telling me about this?” He asks sternly.

“Honestly... At first I wasn’t sure if I’d keep it…” She smiles abashed, looking away, “…then I thought I would do it by myself. I don’t need a man… and even though I’ve told you now… I still don’t need a man, that’s not why I’m doing this.” She shakes her head and locks her eyes with his, “You’re still very young and I don’t expect you to change your plans for your future or drop Yoongi or anything. I’m old enough, I can do this alone.” She bats tears away, “I just thought it would be unfair to keep it from you.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s fucking stupid.” Hoseok murmurs with an arched brow, “I don’t know how we’re supposed do this, but I’m not just going to go on with my life knowing that there’s going to be a lost little kid running around somewhere out there that’s supposed to be mine.” He leans back in his seat and waves his hands about, “I’m not saying you can’t do it alone, but I’m not that selfish.”

“But you’re not even done with college yet.” She protests.

“We can figure out the logistics later. For now, I just need to tell my parents and take the backlash from them. We’ll go to the doctor and… I don’t know, I’ll do some reading and stuff…” He sighs, “I’m starting a job next week, it pays pretty decently and I have some savings that…” He drifts off as silent tears stream down her face and his expression softens, “Are you okay?”

She sniffles, nodding as she tries to swat them away, “I’m fine, it’s just-” She starts balling and covers her face, “Preg-huh-nancy horrrmones….”

He scoots closer to her and digs around in his pocket for a tissue, trying to calm her down and not cause a scene.

“Okay, okay…” He rubs her back, “Shhh… Just breathe, it’s going to be okay.” Looking around, he spots an old couple staring at them and he glowers back until they look away, “Do you wanna get some fresh air?”

She nods into his chest and he runs his fingers through her hair reassuringly, “Okay, let’s just wipe those tears away, uh?”

She pulls away and he wipes her tears with a fresh tissue, squeezing her hand as he helps her up, “I know I’m a bit of a dick, but you don’t have to do this alone anymore.”

Letting out a raggedy breath, she manages, “I’m so sorry.”

He swings the café door open, “Come on, let’s go.”

Their walk doesn’t last long before she has to stop and they sit down on a bench as she catches her breath.

“Should I get you coffee or something?” He offers, looking at her worriedly.

“I can’t drink coffee, Silly.” She giggles, pulling a bottle of water from her enormous bag.

“Is it normal to get so tired just from walking?” He asks, watching her chug the water.

She nods, “There’s a big baby kicking around inside me.”

“It’s already kicking?” He squawks.

“Well, moving anyway…” She shrugs, “Would you like to feel?”

“Can I?” He asks, hesitantly extending his hand before placing it back on his knee.

Suran smiles, unbuttoning her coat and his mouth drops as she exposes the tight-fitting violet material, straining as it clings to her belly.

“Here, give me your hand.” She opens her hand, waiting for his.

“When did you get like this?” He asks, gesturing at her protruding tummy, “You didn’t look like this last week…”

She laughs, “What are you trying to say?”

He chuckles nervously and gives her his hand to escape answering.

“Don’t be so scared…” She places it on her stomach, “It’s not like you’ll hurt the baby.”

Not feeling anything, he looks up at her and she smiles, “Wait for it…”

He shrieks, pulling away at the sudden movement beneath his palm and she laughs, asking, “You okay?”

He nods and, smiling, he lays both hands on her belly, gasping in awe at the feeling, “Oh my gosh… There’s a little baby inside you, our little baby is inside you…” His smile turns sour and he suddenly pulls his hands away, “Shit!” He rubs them on his pants, “Shit! Shit! Shit!”

Confused by his reaction, she sits upright and wrings her hands.

“Holy shit…” He scratches his head and buries it in his hands, “This is really happening…” He rocks back and forth, “That’s a real child in there…” He looks over at her and quickly buttons her coat back up, fervently rubbing her tummy, “He won’t get sick, will he?”

Suran shakes her head in reply, at first unable to say anything at his erratic behaviour. After Hoseok sits back, she questions, “He?”

“Huh?” He answers.

“You want a boy?”

"What? No." He shrugs and clears his throat, “I mean, I don’t mind either way… Why? Is it a girl?”

“No, I don’t know, but we can probably find out when we go to the doctor.” She clarifies.

He nods, “Right. I can pick you up that day and we can drive up together.”

“That’d be nice.” She smiles hopefully at him.

“Where are you staying anyway?” He asks.

“Still in my apartment… I just drove here today, you know… since I wasn’t sure what was going to happen…”

“Oh… So, you’re not nearby then…” He surmises, disappointed.

~

** Y/N: **

_Who knew grocery shopping could be so boring?_

“Taehyung-ahhhhh…” You whine in the store, following the boy around as he races ahead with the trolley.

“Taehyung-ahhhhh…” He mimics, flying around the corner into the next isle.

With heavy feet, you walk after him and rejoice, thankful that he’s heading for the check out.

“Are you sure we’ve got everything?” You ask, looking up at him.

Turning his attention to the cashier, he smiles, ignoring you, so you tug at his arm and he narrows his eyes at you, flicking your forehead.

“Oppa!” You cry, rubbing your head, “Can’t you just be nice today?”

He rolls his eyes and ruffles your hair, “I’m always nice.”

“Your girlfriend is very cute.” The cashier mentions, grinning at Taehyung.

“She’s not my girlfriend.” He says, stepping further from you.

“Oh?” She asks, looking hopeful.

He flashes a half-smile at her and runs a hand through his hair, the two of them flirting horribly, the whole spectacle making you nauseous.

~

“Argh,” You say in the car, “Was that necessary?”

“What?” Taehyung asks.

You imitate the woman and twirl your hair around your finger, much to his amusement.

“Should I have rather thrown an arm around you and told her we’re dating?”

You shrug, about to say something when he laughs outright, “Jealousy is not a good look on you, Hun.”

“I’m not jealous!” You protest, “But you flirt with everything, it’s not right.”

“I don’t flirt with you.”

“Exactly!” You snap your fingers, “You’re being weird.”

“So, you -who has a boyfriend- wants me to flirt with you and share a bed?”

“What? No. I just want you to be normal.” You pull your knees up to your chest, “Look, I’m just saying, I know it’s weird that I’m with Jimin because he’s a close friend of yours, but our friendship won’t change, I promise I won’t let it.”

“Your words cut like diamonds, Hun.” He shakes his head and keeps driving, the light-hearted mood morphing into something more strained.

~

“Good evening Angel!” Jimin croons, answering the phone cheerily.

“Evening Oppa!” You sing in return, bouncing on to the bed and sitting down after showering, “How’ve you been?”

“Bored…” He answers plainly, “I’m at a family gathering.”

“Well, at least there’s nothing there to upset you…” You sigh, frustrated.

You can hear him excuse himself on the other side, “What’s the matter?”

“Argh, Tae is just being offish.” You say dismissively.

“How so?” Jimin asks.

“He’s just…” You start off, exasperated, “I mean, he’s being so weird, like he’s not being jokey and stuff with me and he’s so darn quiet all the time!” You throw your hand in the air, “Can you believe the boy is insisting on sleeping on the floor when he has a bed?”

“What? Is he silently protesting something?” Jimin chuckles.

“I don’t know… Anyway, you’re still coming through on Friday?”

“Mmh, of course! You know…” You hear him sucking his bottom lip, “I think it was a mistake to come back to your room the other night.”

“A mistake?” You ask, intrigued.

“Uhuh, I can’t stop thinking about you.”

You laugh, delighted and roll over on to your side, “Really?” You finger the stitching of the blanket, “What are you thinking? Good things, I hope?”

“Oh no…” He chuckles, raspily murmuring, “It’s far from good.”

“Oh yeah?” You bite your lip, butterflies soaring through your tummy. “It’s a pity you’re with people now…”

“Why?” He asks, curious.

You giggle, whispering, “Because I just got out of the shower…”

“Come again?” He asks, his voice a little squeaky.

“Well I can’t right now…” You tease.

“Oh Angel, don’t do me like that!” He whines and you laugh.

“Anyway Oppa, have a good night, okay?” You taunt, blowing a kiss into the speaker.

“Wait Angel!” He calls before you hang up, “Are you serious about just showering?”

“Yup!”

“So then…” He whispers, “Are you dressed yet?”

“Does a towel count?” You wonder.

He coughs, “For real?”

“Uhuh, I’m still wet…”

“You’re… wet…?” He asks, incredulous.

“Soaked!” You giggle.

“Oh my gosh Angel!” He chuckles, “You know you’re illegal, right?”

“I know!” You chirp, “Talk tomorrow?”

“Video chat?” He asks.

“You sure about that?”

“I am… Why, you scared you won’t be able to handle seeing my gorgeousness without touching me?” He jokes.

“Pft! No…” You chuckle, “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Great! Sleep well Angel.”


	26. It's a secret.

** Jungkook: **

Slipping his earphones in as he steps out of the house, Jungkook stretches out before heading off for his run. The air this morning feels near frozen and is fuzzy with fog and he wonders if he should just turn back and spend the day in bed.

_Come on, get your ass out there and get on with your life._

He decides to take a new route around the neighbourhood and pushes himself hard, harder than he has in a long time, pushing through the memories of you that he finds himself revisiting.

Winding down as he arrives back home, he shakes his head, looking at the ground, clearing his head of whatever remains. When he flips it up, he spots a small familiar figure at the front door and quickly removes his earplugs.

“Noona!” He calls excitedly, waving as he jogs up to the woman.

“Oh, Jungkook-ssi!” She returns, taking him in, “When did you get so big?”

He chuckles, “I was about to ask the opposite of you!” He grins, opening the door, “Come inside.”

“Ooh, it’s so warm!” She heads for the kitchen, “Tea?”

“No thanks, not for me.” He declines, rushing to take the kettle from her, “I’ll make it, you sit down.”

She swats him away, “I can do it, you might just burn.”

“I’m not a little kid anymore, Noona.” He says, pulling out a chair for her and moving her to it, “Sit.”

“Oh…” She seems taken aback by his actions, “Okay.”

He smiles at her as he brews the tea and bringing it over, pulls a bottle of water from the fridge for himself.

“So, what brings you by?” He asks, cracking the bottle open.

She picks her cup up and blows on it, answering, “Your brother mentioned you’d be…” She pauses, watching him take a gulp of water and she clears her throat, continuing, “…back this week.”

He nods, swallowing, “Well, he’s at work now, if you wanted to see him.”

“I know…” She shrugs, “I thought we could catch up.”

“So, you’re planning on staying a while?” He asks.

She nods in reply and he leans back in his seat, crossing his arms, tongue in cheek, “Noona…”

“Uh?”

“Remember when I-” He starts to ask something, but shakes his head and smirks, changing his mind and getting up, “I’m gonna go shower. Make yourself comfortable, okay?”

“Uh?” She repeats.

“I’m all sweaty from my run.” He explains, walking backward, “You don’t mind being left alone for a couple of minutes, do you?”

“No, go ahead.” She smiles.

He walks sort of into the wall behind him and hits his funny bone, making her giggle, so, embarrassed, he smiles and quickly turns around, walking off to his room.

~

** Y/N: **

On the swing-set with Taehyung, you bite the inside of your cheek as you look over at him, twisting around in his swing, his expression cloudy. Things haven’t exactly gotten better over the past couple of days and you still feel estranged, though you’ve settled into a more friendly understanding of each other and haven’t had any fights.

“Spit it out, Hun…” He says into the silence.

“Taehyung-ah…” You twist in your swing like him, “Will you help me dye my hair?”

“What?” He asks, facing you.

You shrug, “I want a change…”

“After the last time?” He raises a brow, “Shouldn’t you rather go to the hairdresser?”

“Come on…” You nag, dragging your swing closer to his, “It’s more fun this way.”

“Meh… The smell of that bleach nearly choked me to death.” He kicks the sand about.

“Oppa please…” You whine, placing your arms on his shoulders and bringing your face near, batting your eyelashes, “Pleeeease…”

It feels somewhat awkward as you realise you haven’t even hugged him this past week but it’s soon okay as he pulls your swing toward him, holding the back of it as he briefly bats his lashes against yours, warning, “Your hair might fall out…”

You giggle as he ruffles your hair, “Is that a yes?”

He nods once and you grin, blowing a kiss as he lets go and you swing back into your original place.

“I’m guessing you want to do this tomorrow, to give Jimin a surprise?” He asks, his expression becoming clouded again.

You laugh, “Hell no, imagine if it turns out horrible…” You shudder, “We can do it on the weekend or next week sometime.”

“But its fine for me to see you with bad hair?” He asks under his breath, in a tone that should sound jokey but just comes off bitter.

“Well, yeah… You’ve already seen the worst of me and you’re still here, so…”

~

** Hoseok: **

With a surge of courage from his sister, who was at first disappointed when she found out the truth -after much pestering about what’s been bothering him- Hoseok calls his family together after dinner and tries explaining himself to his parents.

He sits on his knees with his head bent low, wringing his hands after explaining the situation to them, afraid of their stunned silence. His mother sits with her head in her hands and his father is still as a stone, trying to make sense of it all.

“Didn’t we raise you better than this?!” His father suddenly bursts, jumping up from his seat. “What the fuck are you doing at that college, huh? You already put us through a lot, telling us you had a boyfriend, now you’ve gone and knocked up a girl too?” He paces with his hands on his hips, shouting, “Look at your poor mother!” He hits the back of Hoseok’s head, “You’re bringing all sorts of shame on our family.”

He apologises profusely and briefly steals a glance at his mother who now watches him with tears in her eyes.

“Abbu-” His sister pipes up, trying to help him out.

“Don’t you dare try to defend him!” He yells, “Go fetch my belt!”

Tears sting at Hoseok’s eyes and his breath catches in his throat, but he doesn’t let on, having expected this much and more, knowing how badly he’s messed up this time and he continues to apologise, his forehead pressed to the cold ground.

“Yeobo,” His mother sighs tiredly, “Hitting him won’t change anything.”

“He needs to learn! My father did worse to me.”

“Raising that baby will be punishment enough.” She starts to raise her voice, “Get off the floor, Hoseok!”

He raises his head, unsure what to do and she repeats herself, “Get up.”

As he does what she says, she takes and squeezes her fuming husband’s hand, sitting him down next to her, “Son,” she says sternly, “If you think I’ve saved you from anything, you’re dead wrong. You’re going to take responsibility for this child…” She runs her fingers through her hair, “…and this woman too, whether you like it or not.”

He stares at her, her words doing laps in his head.

“Don’t look at me like that, boy.” She warns, “Frankly, you’ve fucked up and you better make damn sure to clean up your mess; there is no other option. When are you seeing that girl?” She demands.

“Tomorrow, she’s got a doctor’s appointment.” He answers quickly, his mother’s language taking him by surprise.

“Well, bring her here.” She gets up, smoothing out her clothes, “I’m done discussing this for tonight. You better get your ducks in a row, Hoseok.”

~

** Jungkook: **

“Noona…” Jungkook hollers as he walks down the passage, towel drying his hair.

“Here!” She calls from the living room. She’s standing looking at the photos hanging on the wall in the living room and she smiles, looking over her shoulder to see the towel completely covering his head as he wildly dries it. Ripping it from his head and flipping his hair back, he throws the towel over his shoulder. Her brain suddenly feels fuzzy at the sight of him and she forgets what she’s about to say, but without giving him a chance to notice, as he runs his fingers through his hair, she manages, “I see you still like white shirts…”

“Yeah, they’re easy, you know?” He answers, “But… Noona, are you okay?”

“Me?” She asks, pointing to herself and then waving her hands, “I’m fine!”

“Are you sure?” He asks, his tone doubtful. “You seem a bit… spacey…”

She cackles, slapping his arm, “Don’t be silly! I’m all good.”

He looks at his arm, sceptical, “Okay then…” He smiles down at her, nodding toward the TV, “Do you want to watch something?”

She shrugs, scratching the back of her neck, “Okay.”

~

** Y/N: **

Since there’s nothing better to do today, you and Taehyung head out to the store in search of a decent box dye.

“What about this?” He asks, pointing to a dark red tint.

You scrunch up your face, sticking your tongue out at it, your expression quickly changing to one of happiness when you spot an iced-coffee colour hiding behind it. You gasp and reach up on to the tips of your toes for it, but you’re too short, so you look back at him, pouting. He chuckles and steps toward you, bringing his face near to yours and winking as he easily reaches over your head and picks the box out, without even lifting his head to look, his eyes for some reason locked on yours.

“Show off.” You mumble, meeting his dark gaze and he smirks.

“You’re still the same as always.” You narrow your eyes at him, unsure of his meaning and he holds the box up next to your head, flashing a quick smile, “Mmh, this will go nicely.”

“You think so?” You ask, smiling, pushing on his chest to move him backward, “It’s not too light for my skin tone?”

“I don’t know,” He shrugs, “but it would be pretty on you…” Chuckling as he adds, “If we can get it right.”

“Argh, you’re such a prophet of dooooom!” You laugh, rolling your eyes and chucking it into the basket, pulling him along, “Let’s goooo!”

_Oooh, thank goodness he’s becoming normal again! That staring thing was weird, but hey, it’s a lot better than an awkward stony silence._ You think, smiling up at him as you wait in line to pay.

“Oh look, it’s the same cashier from the other day.” You note, finally close enough to see in front.

He groans and shakes his head, so you ask what his reaction is about and he whispers under his breath, “That girl is persistent as hell. She even found my SNS and keeps sending me messages and stuff.”

You giggle, taking more joy from it than you probably should, “Well, that will teach you not to flirt so meaninglessly.”

He sighs, “I can’t help it, I’m just naturally charming.”

You roll your eyes, singing, “Bull…shit…”

He chuckles, “You’re such a dick sometimes.”

“Should I help you out then?” You grin, nudging him.

He furrows his brow as you slip your arm through his and grip it tightly, resting your head on his shoulder as he moves forward. You smile at her as she looks over at the pair of you.

“What are you doing?” He asks out of the corner of his mouth.

“Oppa!” You exclaim, looking up at him, talking loudly, “Why won’t you tell me where we’re going tonight?”

“Tonight?” He asks, confused.

“Uhuh, for our date.” You say and pretend not to notice her head whipping around.

He looks down at you, finally playing along, “Baby girl, I told you it’s a secret.”

“You didn’t forget again, did you?” You ask.

He turns toward you and cups your face, “Just let me surprise you, uh?” He seems immersed in his role as he searches your eyes, “I promise, I’ll be better this time around.”

“You promise?” You ask, going with it.

“You’re my one and only, Hun.” He kisses the top of your head.

You smile up at him before looking down, taking the basket from him and moving toward the till, not noticing how longingly he gazes at you.

“Afternoon.” You greet the cashier, unpacking the contents.

She stares, mouth slightly agape as he takes the basket, quietly unpacking the rest of it for you while you annoy yourself as you prattle on about what you should wear. You feel somewhat bad for her as he drapes his arm around your waist and you can see her taking it all in. After you pay, he takes the shopping bags in one hand and your hand in his other, kissing the top of it as you walk out.


	27. You said it was special.

** Hoseok: **

“Ah, fuck.” Hoseok murmurs, looking out the window while slurping up the last of his breakfast. His bowl clanks loudly as he throws it down on the counter and he rushes to the front door.

Wildly flinging it open, his voice cuts out as he tries to say something, conflicted upon seeing Yoongi.

“Hi…” The older boy says awkwardly, scratching his neck as he walks up to him.

“Yoongi, what are you doing here?” Hoseok asks breathlessly.

“You never called.” He answers, “You said we would speak soon, but you never called and you didn’t answer when I did either.”

“I was going to…” He says distractedly, noticing the dark circles under Yoongi’s eyes, that he seems more pale than usual and that he’s too lightly dressed for the weather, “How did you get here?”

He shrugs, “It doesn’t matter.”

“It’s barely nine in the morning and you look like shit Yoongi, don’t tell me it doesn’t matter!” Hoseok exclaims, “How did you get here?”

“A couple of trains and a bus or two, it’s not important.”

He gasps and takes his jacket off, wrapping Yoongi in it and zipping it up, “You probably didn’t even eat.” He looks into his eyes, “Probably didn’t even sleep either.” He turns around, signalling Yoongi to follow him, “I’ll cook you something up.”

“What about your parents?” Yoongi asks, timidly stepping into the house.

“They’re at work.”

While Hoseok cooks, Yoongi tries to assist but it’s all a bit awkward, neither of them quite knowing what to say.

Sitting down, he watches Yoongi gobble up the food and rubs at his face, “Yoongi… Today, really isn’t a great day for this.”

“Would there ever be a great day for it?” Yoongi asks delicately, placing his chopsticks next to his bowl, “I know you’ve got a lot going on now but I-”

“I have to take Suran to the doctor.” Hoseok cuts in.

“Oh…” He wrings his hands, squeezing them through the gap between his thighs.

He sighs, unsure, how best to put it, “And there’s stuff I have to discuss with her…” He rubs his temples, “…stuff I really don’t even want to think about.”

Yoongi closes his eyes, nodding, “I get it…” He pushes up off the chair, “I should get going.”

“Yoongi…” He murmurs, his hand on his shoulder, “You don’t have to leave.”

“But I can’t really stay either.” Yoongi says plainly, “I’ll just get in the way.”

“But you just got here.” He states, his voice coming out panicked as he realises he doesn’t want him to leave.

“It’s okay.” He touches Hoseok’s cheek tenderly.

“You said you’d help me through this.” Hoseok catches his hand, clinging to it. “I know it’s not why you came here, but I need a friend right now, please.”

Yoongi nods, swallowing, “Okay, I can be a friend.”

“Really?” He asks, his eyes welling up all of a sudden.

“Of course,” He answers, embracing him, “I love you, Hoseok, I will be whatever you want me to be.”

It dawns on him how much like an island he’s been feeling lately as he holds tightly to the man’s small frame, relishing the comfort of his arms.

~

** Y/N: **

Waking up earlier than you have since the end of exams, you jump out of bed and quickly prepare everything for your date. Jimin’s due to arrive around noon and ordinarily you would be a frazzled mess trying to get done in time but, having picked out your clothing the night before, you only really have to stress over your cooking. With half an hour to spare, you’re ready and waiting and it’s only then that you become conscious of the fact that you’re alone in the house. Taehyung hadn’t been there when you’d woken up and you’d assumed he was in the bathroom or something, but you realise he wasn’t there either. You do a sweep of the rooms and call his name but there’s no response and you wonder where he may be. You’re not left with much time to wonder though, as you hear a car pull up outside and shortly after, a familiar whistle.

Rather than butterflies, your tummy is viciously attacked by a swarm of bees as you hear Jimin’s footsteps grow closer. When he knocks, they briefly pause before multiplying exponentially and start doing a crazy dance inside you. Containing your excitement, you walk slowly toward the door as he starts to knock.

You open the door to a pretty bouquet of flowers, behind from which Jimin pokes his head out, “Morning Angel…”

“Oppa.” You greet, beaming as you dip your head and take the flowers from him.

He rocks back and forth on his heels, gazing at you and you meet his gaze for a while before remembering that he’s standing in the cold and you both laugh and you let him in. As he steps inside, he hugs you tightly, just about lifting you off the ground. Putting you down, he softly kisses your lips and with his forehead touching yours, he whispers, “Good morning Angel.”

“Good morning Oppa.” You smile, kissing him once more.

“Is Taehyung around?” He asks as you close the door.

“Strangely enough, he isn’t.” You sigh, “He must have left before I woke up.”

“It’s just you and me, then?” He kisses your cheek, hugging you from behind. “So, what’re we doing today?”

You turn to face him, “Well, I know it’s freezing outside but there’s a place I wanna show you if it’s okay with you… Since you shared your rooftop with me…”

He smiles, pulling you closer to him, “Well, you know, the cold shouldn’t be a problem since I have you to warm me up.”

You giggle, shaking your head, “Is this the only bag you brought with?”

“Yup,” He says, taking it off his back, “Taehyung’s parents really don’t mind me sleeping over?”

“Well, he was sweet enough to ask if ‘his friend’ could stay over and I guess it helps that his mom is convinced that we’re dating.”

“You and him?” He asks, his expression bothered.

“We’ve tried telling her otherwise,” You defend, “but since we both came back home covered in hickeys…” You look at Jimin disapprovingly and steps back, holding his hands up, “…She refuses to believe us. It’s better this way though, since I haven’t told my parents about you yet.”

“You haven’t?” He pouts, following as you lead the way to the bedroom, “My parents know all about you…” He chuckles, “I think my mom might know more than I do.”

“Hey, I will,” You assure, turning to face him, “but I want to do it in person, you know?”

“I know.” He brushes your hair away and pecks your lips, dropping his backpack to the bedroom floor, “I’m just teasing, Angel… But she does know a lot about you, they both do. Sorry.”

You beam, happy that he seems so proud of you and peck him softly once or twice more, thereafter pulling him by the hand after grabbing your bag. You shrug your coat on and fetch the picnic basket you prepared, “Okay, let’s go.”

Taking your car, you first drive around a bit, taking a scenic route to the place, the conversation flowing easily.

“It’s a bit of a walk from here.” You admit, switching off the car. Jimin takes the basket and the two of you walk hand in hand up the frozen pathway, crossing under a wooden archway and into the forest.

“Ahh, wait.” Jimin stops suddenly, digging something out from the inside of his coat. “Hot pack.”

Your breath forms little white puffs, thanking him as he places it in your hands and warms them up before continuing on the path.

Twenty minutes later, you run ahead, excited to reach your spot.

“Wait here, okay?” You call.

He starts jogging after you and you run back to him, “No, no. Stay put.”

“But Angel-” He protests.

You push on his chest, keeping him back, “You can’t see yet. I’ll come fetch you.”

Reluctantly, he agrees to wait and you hurry to set everything up, having brought most of the stuff and hidden it in a little nook the day before. Out of a waterproof bag you pull a cushioned outdoor blanket and a prettier one to go over it and lay it out. There’s another blanket, but you keep it folded, setting it at one of the corners. There’s a tiny gas burner that you’ve brought with and you fill a metal kettle with water, placing it on top; next to it, you place two mugs and instant coffee. Out of the picnic basket, you take a bottle of wine and glasses, as well as the food you’d prepared, opening the lunchboxes one by one and inspecting them, making sure none of the dishes got ruined on the way.

You look everything over, your insides flopping about, nervous as you go fetch Jimin.

“That was fast.” He grins, taking your hand again as you lead him off the path.

“I think I may have oversold it a bit…” You giggle nervously.

“You know, it seems like you really went out of your way to get me alone.” He jokes, ducking under a tree branch, “Just what is it you plan on doing with me out here?”

You roll your eyes and he laughs as you pull him through the trees.

“Ta-da!”

He looks ahead and gawps at the picnic set up in the largest pool of sunlight, almost at the edge of the cliff. He turns his soft gaze to you, “You did this?”

You nod, biting your lip, “Is it okay?”

“It’s like the roof, except…upgraded, by like a lot.” He grins his goofy grin and kisses the top of your hand.

You blush and sit him down, not quite sure what to do. You sit opposite him, watching as he examines the food.

“Did you make these yourself?” He asks, pointing at the faces you’d made out of everything, “So fucking cute…Omo…” He jumps up, looking down at the five boxes. “Omo, omo, omo!” He claps his hands, his eyes disappearing as his goofy grin returns, “Yah, Angel Cakes!”

You giggle, knowing he must have noticed the arrangement.

He points at the first box, “Ji…” He points at the second, “Min…”, then the third and fourth, “O…Ppa…” He cocks his head to the side, trying to understand the last box, “Winky face?” He guesses.

You nod and he cackles raucously, laughing with his whole body and you smile, “Too cheesy?”

He plonks himself down in front of you and pulls you closer to him, shaking his head, “Not at all, you just made my day, Angel.”

“You really like being called ‘Oppa’, don’t you?” You ask, giggling.

“Nope.” He shakes his head again and kisses you sweetly, “I just really like being called ‘Oppa’ by you.”

Your heart feels like it’s going to burst and you beam like an idiot, draping your arms around his neck, already regretting what you’re about to say, but going ahead and saying it anyway, “You’re a real man, you know?”

“So you finally admit it…” He chuckles in a low tone, the upturned corners of his mouth twitching.

You shrug and he takes your face in his hands, kissing you sweetly.

~

** Hoseok: **

Pulling up outside Suran’s apartment, Hoseok gets out of the car, followed by Yoongi, and he calls to let her know he’s outside. She’s far from ready and near tears when she lets them in and looks like she’s having a hard time, so Hoseok runs around after her without commenting on it, taking as much out of her hands as possible.

“Hey Yoongi.” She smiles at him as he stands awkwardly in the doorway.

“Sorry for tagging along,” He apologises, “I didn’t know you guys were going to the doctor today.”

“You don’t mind, do you?” Hoseok asks, taking her bag as he ushers her out and locks up her apartment, “I asked him to come with.”

She shakes her head in reply and as he tries to help her down the single flight of stairs, she swats him away, muttering, “I’m not that pregnant.”

“Okay.” He backs off, walking slowly next to her as she takes careful steps.

The drive to the hospital is rather quiet and none of them really know what to say. When the doctor calls for Suran, Hoseok takes Yoongi’s hand as he gets up but Yoongi shakes his head, “I’ll wait out here, okay? You should really just be with her right now.”

He nods and Yoongi squeezes his hand once before letting go and he disappears into the examination room with her.

“You’re the father?” The doctor asks.

“Yes…” He answers awkwardly.

“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you.” She smiles, turning her attention to Suran, “Let’s see how baby’s getting along, shall we?”

She asks a bunch of questions, most of it going over Hoseok’s head as he stares, fixated on Suran’s naked belly and he realises just how unprepared he is for the coming of his child. She looks reassuringly at him and he takes her hand as a show of faith, hoping to seem supportive.

“Would we like to know the sex?” The doctor asks.

They both nod and she holds tightly on to him as the doctor speaks next, “You look a bit overwhelmed.” She chuckles at Hoseok, “Did you get everything we were talking about?”

He scratches behind his ear, “Uhh…”

She laughs, “Well, that’s okay I suppose, all you really need to know is that she’s healthy, a little bit bigger than average, but nothing worth worrying over.”

“She?” They ask in unison.

“Oh my gosh, we’re having a baby girl!” Suran shouts, hitting his arm hard before the doctor can answer.

He laughs and rubs his arm, overjoyed, though a million thoughts run through his head. “A baby girl…” He echoes.

~

** Y/N: **

Though you’d brought him up here in part for the view, you spend most of the afternoon chatting about nothing important, just happy to be in each other’s company and you don’t even really feel the cold, although that may be a result of all the wine you’d drunk.

“So, when are you going to tell me the story about this place? I mean, it’s really pretty, but there’s a reason, right?” Jimin says, placing his head in your lap, “You said it was special.”

“It doesn’t really mean anything, but it’s like my secret place, you know?” You reply, stroking his hair, “When I was younger, my dad would bring me up here if I was troubled or upset about something, but these days I usually come alone.” You babble, “I don’t know if it’s just me, but I think it holds a sense of serenity. Like a river of calm and peace that I can just bathe in and like…” You chuckle, having messed up his hair, “Replenish my soul.”

With closed eyes, he smiles, turning his head and kissing the inside of your thigh.

“You’re the only person I’ve ever brought here.” You admit softly, your voice barely audible as you brush from the base of his hairline down into his neck.

“Really?” He asks, opening his eyes, raising his head slightly.

You nod, bringing your face close to his and pecking his lips, “I’ve never even wanted to before, but somehow I just felt like I could with you.”

You press your lips to his again and he twists his body around, pulling you on top of him. “Angel Cakes,” He kisses you passionately, continuing his sentence with laboured breath when he eventually lifts his mouth from yours, “I think I’ve completely fallen for you.”


	28. Like the old days.

** Jimin: **

After watching the sunset, to finish off your date, you and Jimin head off for the ice rink and spend a couple of hours playing around on the ice. When you get home, the house is blanketed in darkness and you enter warily.

“Where is everyone?” Jimin asks.

“Tae’s mom said they’d be taking the family out late.” You answer.

The clock on the wall says it’s after nine already and you’re more worried about Taehyung, having called him a couple of times throughout the day with no answer.

“Maybe he went out with them…” You whisper to yourself, as you walk to the bedroom, ringing him again.

Getting his voicemail, you sigh and turn your attention back to your boyfriend.

“Sorry that I keep calling him.”

He shrugs and sits down, leaning back on Taehyung’s bed, “He’s my friend too, I get it.”

“Are you hungry?” You ask, sitting next to him.

He shakes his head, “I’m okay.”

You nod, your mind drifting back to Taehyung. Jimin notices and pokes you in the side, bringing you back.

“He’s a grown man, don’t worry so much.”

You smile and apologise again and ask Jimin if he wants to wash up so you can watch a movie or something afterward before going to bed.

He picks up his bag and starts preparing his shower stuff, so you go to the cupboard and try to find cute pyjamas to wear. When you look back, the boy stands frowning as he looks into the mix of clothes in the open cupboard.

You gasp, trying to close it quickly, “Don’t judge, this mess is all Taehyung’s fault. My stuff is all folded I swear, most of it I haven’t worn in such a long time.”

He nods, trying to suppress the flash of anger that strikes from within at the fact that you and Taehyung share a cupboard, and he looks over at the small bed, recalling how you complained about Taehyung not wanting to sleep in his bed. You notice how he looks at it and ask, “You don’t mind sleeping on the floor with Tae tonight, do you?”

“So you sleep here?” He asks, pointing at the bed.

Feeling a change in his mood, you answer in a small voice, “Yeah, it’s a three bedroom house, so one for his parents, his siblings and him.”

He slowly nods, staring at it, “Where were you going to sleep then?” He looks up at you with a funny expression, “You know, when you said he was refusing to sleep in his bed?”

Your brain glitches, knowing what he’s getting at and realising how the truth would sound. He knits his brow at your silence and you can see the wheels turning in his head.

“Oppa, what are you imagining?” You laugh nervously, waving your hands, “It’s nothing weird. We’ve just always slept opposite each other… I mean, he’s never slept on the floor before… and he’s been acting so odd lately…” You sigh at your pathetic confession, “I just wanted something to be normal.”

You feel terrible at the look of disappointment on his face and move toward him, “Yah Jiminie…” You wrap your arms around his waist, reaching up to peck his still lips, “I only want you.”

“Are you sure?” He asks with a furrowed brow and you answer quickly, not wanting to leave any room for doubt.

_Relationships are built on trust, right? If she doesn’t want him then he stands no chance, right?_

He sighs and nods before screwing up his face, “Did you just call me Jiminie again?”

Brushing his hair back, you nod, “You’re my Jiminie.”

He shakes his head, tongue in cheek, though you can see he’s undeniably chuffed, “Oh, am I?” He pulls you closer, “Me?” He kisses you softly, “Yours?”

You nod, smiling at him, “Of course.”

“Does that make you mine?” He asks and you can feel the sincerity behind the playful question.

You nod again, tilting your head, “How could I not be?”

You reach up again and pull him down to your mouth and he groans into your slow kiss. Feeling incredibly frustrated, he wastes no time in running his hands down to your hips and moving you back up against the cupboard, pinning you as he wraps one of your legs around him and lightly grinds into you, the kiss deep but gentle, the way warm waves wash over you in a calm ocean.

The front door bangs closed and the sound of Taehyung’s low, satisfied humming seems to reverberate through the house.

Jimin groans again, this time out of frustration as he pushes off you. Apologetically, you kiss him softly and fix your hair.

Taehyung swings the room door open and rolls his eyes, “Really?” He asks, “In my room?”

“We didn’t do anything…” You shrug. Jimin turns away with balled fists.

He opens one of his drawers and starts searching through it. “Right, I’m sure you just sat here holding hands all day.” He answers sarcastically. “Hun, have you seen my smokes?”

“They’re still in your leather jacket from the other night.” You reply quickly, awkward at the pet name, given your conversation with Jimin. “Where have you been though? I haven’t seen you since last night.”

“An old friend.” He states, digging around in the jacket pocket. “And that’s because I went to see her after you fell asleep.”

“Oh.” You say softly. “Well, you could have at least called me back. I was worried.”

He chuckles, shrugging, “We were having too much fun.”

“I swear, it’s like you only think with your dick.” You remark under your breath, intending for your tone to be playful but coming off bitter as you gather your clothes to go shower.

“You know,” He chuckles, unsteadily placing a cigarette between his lips, “You still sound jealous to me.”

“Whatever Taehyung.” You dismiss, looking back at him. Jimin looks back and forth between you, though you don’t notice.

“Jealous!” He sings, leaning heavily against the wall, trying to light the cigarette in the room.

“Are you drunk?” You ask, watching him, his gaze unfocussed and movement exaggerated.

He shrugs, still trying to light it.

You rip the cigarette from his mouth and shake your head, “What the fuck Taehyung?”

“Hey, that’s not nice.” He whines, swiping as he tries to take it back but missing and nearly falling over his own feet. You catch him and sigh, supporting his full weight as he leans into you, suddenly appearing much more far gone than he had five minutes ago. “Hey Babe, I can’t feel my legs.”

Jimin jumps up and takes him from you, pulling him along and sitting him down on the toilet seat in the bathroom.

“I’m gonna get him some water.” You say, going to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle and glass.

“See…” He drunkenly says to Jimin once you’ve gone, like he’s letting him in on a secret, “She’s still got feelings for me.”

He crosses his arms and kicks his ankle, “You’re a fucking mess Taehyung.”

Returning, you pour glass after glass of water and make him chug it, trying to sober him up.

“You’re going to make me sick…” He complains, pushing the cup away and slumping down on to the floor.

“That’s the whole point.” Jimin answers.

You rub his back soothingly and he pukes almost immediately into the toilet bowl.

“There, there.” You stroke his hair, as he continues throwing up, “You’re going to be fine.”

“Will you make me ramyun? Like the old days?” He asks, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

 You swat his hand away and clean his mouth with a tissue, “Of course. Are you all done now?”

He nods, smiling briefly, trying to get up when his eyes roll closed and he pukes all over his clothes.

“Fuck… How is he this drunk? It’s not even late...” You look at the showerhead over the bath and glance up at Jimin, “Help me get him in there, please?”

He nods and picks him up, carefully setting him down in the bath and you turn the water on over him. Rinsing his clothes off first, you sigh again and climb in.

“I can do that, Angel.” Jimin offers, though he can barely stop himself from gagging.

You wave him off, the cold water already drenching your top as you try to pull his over his head, “Taehyung-ah…” You tap his cheek, trying to make him come to, “Taehyung-ah…”

Groggily, he opens his eyes, “Baby girl…”

“Hey…” You coo, smiling, “Can you try to stand up for me?”

“It’s so cold.” He sniffles, trying to get to his feet. As you hold him up against the wall, Jimin changes the direction of the showerhead, so it falls more directly over him and Taehyung turns his face away, making himself small as he whimpers, “I don’t like this.”

“It’s almost over.” You stroke his hair again, “Let’s just get these off, uh?”

Much to Jimin’s dismay, you strip him down, Taehyung’s breath shallow as he shivers but he seems more aware of what’s going on and can now to some extent keep himself up, so you turn on the warm water and he moans at the comfort of the heat. Alarmed at the silent tears that start falling from his face, you take his face in your hands, “Oppa, what’s wrong?”

“I’m so sorry.” He embraces you and you remember Jimin when he mumbles under his breath.

You look apologetically at him but rub Taehyung’s back, “Hey, what for? We all drink a bit much sometimes. It’s okay.”

“No.” He says with some force, pulling you tighter against him, “I’m sorry that things turned out like this.” You pull away and search his eyes, trying to understand what he means but he takes your face in his hands and softly kisses your forehead and cheeks repeatedly, “I want to make it better.”

“Taehyungie… Let’s just put you to bed for now, uh?”

He bends to kiss your lips and softly pulls you back to him when you turn your face away but Jimin cuts the water off and jerks you from him, chucking a towel at Taehyung and shoving him in the chest, growling, “Don’t fucking push your luck.”

He hoists you over the edge of the bath and looks you up and down, talking sternly, “Go change your clothes, I’ll finish up here.”

~

Taehyung chuckles tiredly now alone with Jimin, “Well it took you long enough.”

“Just dry yourself off.” Jimin commands, irritated, folding his arms and pacing in the small bathroom.

Taehyung smirks, leaning against the tiled wall and drying himself roughly.

Seething, Jimin turns to look at his smug expression and in a low voice, mutters, “You know, when she told me you were being more distant, I couldn’t believe it and thought, ‘Wow, maybe he’s backing off and will actually respect her choice.’” He steps up to Taehyung, chuckling darkly, “But that’s not what you’re doing, is it?”

Taehyung glares at him, warning, “You don’t know the full story.”

“I don’t need to.” Jimin roars in disbelief, “Stop fucking toying with my girl and be happy that she’s even still your friend. Pushing and pulling her like that is only going to ruin your friendship further.”

Taehyung barks a hollow laugh, “You sure ‘your girl’ really has feelings for you?”

“I am.” He replies confidently, walking to the door, “Are you?” He looks back at Taehyung, smirking, “Because from where I’m standing, you just look like a pathetic boy who can’t deal with his one-sided love.”


	29. I won't bite.

** Y/N: **

_“Oppa…” You whisper softly as you kiss the sleeping man’s chest across which your long hair is sprawled._

_“Uhhh?” Comes his reply, lazy, breathy and tickling your ear which makes you shiver slightly. Instinctively, he pulls you closer to him, your bare back covered by his strong, warm hands that he runs up and down it. You burrow into his touch and make a trail of sweet kisses up into his neck. He groans and finds your mouth, his teeth playfully grazing your lips as he does._

_You smile into his tobacco-tasting kiss as he rolls over to be on top of you and grinds lightly against you, his musky scent alone filling you with lust._

_“Oppa…” You repeat, wrapping yourself tighter around him, wanting him to stop his teasing._

_“Patience, Baby girl…” He murmurs in a low voice, nibbling your ear as he eases himself into you._

_Before long, your breath changes, becoming uneven as he fills you and he chuckles to himself, working you up, though you can’t stop yourself from moving with him or the soft moans that escape you and give your delight away. Your fingers curl around his soft brown locks and your nails dig into his shoulder as your mouths meet by chance, more interested in indulging in the taste of the other’s skin as if for the first time, though somehow you know that it isn’t and also won’t be the last either, given how perfect being with him feels._

_His hands roam your body hungrily and he pulls back to look at you as he moves deeper within you, his hooded, dark eyes meeting yours which soon flutter closed as you come near._

You wake with a start just as you climax in unison with the man in your dream and disentangle yourself from Jimin on the floor, confused and embarrassed, so you leave the room to fix something for Taehyung to eat, sure that he’ll be feeling downright awful when he awakes. When you return with enough food for the three of you, you start, surprised to see Jimin sitting cross-legged, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as ever.

“Oppa…” You whisper, setting the tray down in front of him. “When did you wake?”

“Ah… It was cold without you…” He murmurs, burrowing his head into your neck.

An unknowing smile lights up your face, happy that he doesn’t seem mad at you anymore, though he didn’t say anything. “Oppa… about last night…” You start off, wanting to clear the air.

He moves away and clouds cover his sunny face, making you wonder if it was a mistake to bring it up, but you continue since you’ve started, “I’m sorry about all of that… I make things difficult for you, don’t I?”

He utters with a short laugh, “It’s not your fault.”

“But still,” You insist, “I know you didn’t want to see that… Taehyung was just really drunk… trying to kiss me and that stuff doesn’t mean anything.”

He shakes his head, his expression puzzled, “How can you believe that?”

“Because… Taehyung isn’t like that.” You nod to yourself, “You don’t have to worry, he’s never liked me like that. Everyone does stupid stuff sometimes when they’re drunk. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“I don’t like you sleeping here with him.” Jimin picks up an egg, not meeting your eyes, “When are your parents coming back?”

“Next week...” You give a small smile.

“Really?” He asks, the corner of his mouth tugging upward though he still looks down, “Come visit me this week then, I want to take you all around Busan.”

You laugh, shaking your head, “I see what you’re trying to do…”

He smirks, poking you in the side, “What? What? What?” He chuckles, “I just want to spend time with you, what’s so wrong with that?”

“Aigoo…” You murmur, trying to hold back, “Who knew I’d get to date such a cute guy…”

He immediately squares his shoulders and runs a hand through his messy morning hair, making his accent thick, “What? Who’s cute? Where?”

You giggle and try to fix his hair, the sexy dialect not matching his current state, “My Jiminie is.”

“Yah… Are you trying to pat my head right now?” He narrows his eyes at you.

You shake your head and peck his lips softly.

“What day should I come through?” You ask with your forehead to his.

“Wednesday.” He answers quickly, “Come early so we have more time together.”

You nod, scooting closer and kissing him again.

~

** Jungkook: **

“Noona...” Jungkook murmurs, waking the older woman with whom he’d fallen asleep on the sofa while watching a movie the night before.

“Ji…eun.” She mumbles, snuggling up to him, “I told you, call me Jieun.”

He freezes up as her soft lips graze his neck and she pretends not to notice even though she’d done it intentionally, not that sleepy at all.

“How can I call you that?” He asks, putting some distance between the two of them.

She chuckles and gestures at the space, “Wah… Are you this uncomfortable with me?”

He waves his hands, “Don’t be silly Noona... But if someone walked in here now, they would think something weird.”

She scoffs, crossing her arms, “I live alone though?”

He closes his eyes and shakes his head as he yawns, saying the same thing for the hundredth time this week, “If people would think that we’re doing something else, then we shouldn’t do that, because we’re not like that. Don’t you think?” He opens his eyes as she takes his hand and he turns his face away, his voice coming out somewhat squeaky, “Noona?”

The woman sits in her bra and high-waisted shorts, wagging a finger in the air as she challenges him, “Call me that again…”

Not one to back down, he looks at her with an arched brow and cockily mouths the word with a lopsided grin.

She places his hand on her chest and he laughs as he tries to pull away, “Noona, what the hell are you doing?”

She keeps his hand firmly in place, squeezing his hand in hers to cup her breast, “If you don’t stop, I won’t let you go.”

Realising she’s serious, he quietly says her name with a warning authority, “Jieun...”

She gives a sad smile at the way he says it but releases him, “I guess you don’t want to see me as a woman anymore, huh?”

Without realising that he’s yet to remove his hand, he tries to digest what’s going on, “What?”

“I don’t want to be your ‘Noona’.” She seems embarrassed and looks down, “I’ve been trying to show you all week but you’re just oblivious and you keep calling me ‘Noona… Jieun Noona…’”

“Noo…” He starts to murmur softly, retracting his hand, “Why couldn’t you do this before when I confessed to you?”

She shrugs, still looking at her hands, “Because you were a kid and I didn’t want that… besides, I thought you said you’re not with anyone now…”

“I’m not, but…” He rubs his face, “I just can’t commit to you now.”

She moves closer to him, her voice turning sultry as she speaks, “Who said I needed that? We’re both adults.”

He searches her eyes but looks away, shaking his head. “I can’t do that.”

She moves closer still before deciding to just crawl on to his lap, making him eye her sternly, “Jieun.”

She looks down as she draws patterns on his thigh.

Closing his eyes, he continues, “If we do this, I’m just going to use you. No cuteness, no dates, nothing.”

Since his eyes are shut, he feels her shrug, but misses the little flinch at his words as she answers, “I’m tired of being cute anyway.” She bends to kiss his neck, whispering in his ear, “Use me.”

~

** Taehyung: **

From the bedroom window, Taehyung watches as you see Jimin off, tenderly kissing the boy goodbye, stopping him a few times before eventually letting him get into the car and make his journey back home.

_Maybe he was right, she does really seem to like him._

When you step into the room, he’s still staring out of the window and you stop in the doorway.

“Oh… Taehyungah…”

“Baby girl.” He nods, smiling as he gets back in bed. He holds the blanket open for you to join him and he purses his lips, seeing your hesitation, “I won’t bite.”

Reluctantly, you get under the covers and he pulls you close to him, whispering, “I really am sorry.”

“What for?” You ask, unable to stop yourself from snuggling up to the comforting touch of your best friend.

“That you think I never liked you.”

You tense up and realise he must have been awake when you were talking to Jimin. Not moving, you mutter, “Well, it’s true, isn’t it?”

Feeling him shake his head, your heart squeezes softly and his answer only hurts more, “Of course not.”

You sit up, not liking this conversation and needing to escape his musky scent.

“I’m only telling you because I don’t want you to think you were unloved.”

A lump forms in your throat.

He sits up like you, taking your hands in his, “You’ll be happy with him, right?”

You look at him, confused.

He squeezes your hands softly, “Baby girl, I can only be supportive if you can promise that he’ll make you happy.”

You feel more awkward than usual at the pet name but you nod slightly, looking at your intertwined hands, a ragged breath escaping you as you force your words out, “I really like him, Taehyung.”

He looks away, blinking rapidly and sighing heavily, “Okay, Baby girl.” Your eyes meet and he clears his throat with a smile, “Are my parents up yet?”

You shake your head, “They’re sleeping in, I think.”

“I’m gonna go shower then.”

You nod and force yourself to smile back, “Great. I’ll see you after my run.”

“Cool.” He answers with a wink, withdrawing his hands.

~

** Y/N: **

_Why the fuck did he have to come out of left field like that?_

You run your heart out, pushing harder than you should, pushing away the part of your mind that wants to contemplate the events of the previous night and this morning.

_He only wants me to be happy._ _He only liked me briefly, just like I crushed on him way back then._

You fall to your knees as you reach the secret place you’d shared with your boyfriend the day before.

_Or maybe he’s just saying that because he doesn’t want the burden of thinking he hurt me. Right, that’s what it is. He doesn’t want to think he hurt me._

Deep down, you know he’s not that selfish and you dig your fingers into white, biting snow, keeled over and trying to suppress the urge to retch, your mind filled with scattered fragments of memories shared with him. You start hyperventilating and feel ridiculous for it, not understanding why those simple words are having this effect on you. You crawl over on to your back and lay with your head tilted back as anxiety wraps around you, crawling up your neck from somewhere in your chest, licking your jawline and kissing every inch of your face, leaving pins and needles in its wake. You hold your breath to try to calm yourself, but burst into tears that choke you and make your body convulse with every wave that comes crashing down on you, leaving you feeling exhausted and breathless when you eventually pull yourself together.

You take your time getting back, walking slowly as you struggle to make sense of your emotions. Looking up, you recognise a tall figure walking toward you from far off and panic about your blotchy face and red eyes and your breath that’s still irregular from crying.

He walks up to you quietly and hands you a coat, “My mom said I should come find you. She was getting worried something happened to you and told me to find you since it’s so late already.”

You look at your watch to find it’s almost dinner time and thank him for bringing your coat. He nods and stuffs his hands into his pockets, walking somewhat behind you without saying anything. You don’t dare say it, but you’re thankful that he doesn’t try to fill the silence with meaningless small talk, that he doesn’t bring up your appearance and that he doesn’t say that he was worried about you.

Upon arriving at his house, you call your greetings cheerily without actually seeing anyone, making the excuse of being frozen and being in desperate need of a shower before joining them. You push all thoughts of him from your mind and think only of the time you’ll spend with Jimin on Wednesday and how much fun you’ll have with him then.

_I only have to make it to Wednesday…_


	30. It's nothing.

** Y/N: **

The days pass at a gruelling pace and you feel bad toward Jimin every time you talk to him or think about him, waking up from the same dream every morning since he’d left that day. Dreams don’t usually mean much to you, but somehow this one gets under your skin, so you always push it to some far-out corner of your mind, knowing the man who rocks you so well isn’t him, though the identity of this ‘dream guy’ continues to elude you.

As if the dream wasn’t bothersome enough, you’re really regretting deciding to stay with Taehyung for these two weeks, struggling to spend time alone with him, at times pretending to be busy or making plans with old friends you don’t actually care for anymore just to get out of the house. You know it’s childish to avoid him like that, especially over a small confession from years ago, but when you’re faced with him, you can’t help but think about the past times, when you believed you were the only one feeling for him and you end up reading more into his actions both then and now, and wonder about why he’d never made a move to make you his girlfriend, knowing how obvious your feelings were.

When you see him, part of you wants to yell, another wants to cry, to run away and still another wants to just talk about all of it, asking every question on your mind to get clarity on when, why, how long and how deeply he felt for you, and why he insisted on breaking your heart if he did; but the last part, the part that keeps you from doing any of it, is simply afraid. Afraid of what he’d say, how he’d react, afraid of why any of these things bother you and ultimately, that you’ll find another part of you, one that’s hopeful.

 

~

 

When Wednesday eventually rolls around, you leave early in the morning with Taehyung’s father who drops you off at the train station. The drive over is quiet, though not uncomfortably so and when he stops the car, he speaks up, “I hope you enjoy your day.”

“Thank you. I hope you do too.” You say with a smile, hand on the door handle, about to get out.

“I know it’s not really my place but… I noticed you and Taehyung seem off.” He says, scratching his head. You sit back and wait for him to continue.

“You’re probably just getting bored of being stuck with him all week, huh?” He chuckles awkwardly and you just smile, not knowing what to say. “I hope you’re not having problems… I’m sure you know he’ll never hurt you intentionally, right?” He clears his throat, “But if he does, just tell me and I’ll be the first to set him straight.” He says jokingly, waving his fist about.

You laugh lightly, “Don’t worry, I think we’re just suffering from a bit of cabin fever. We’ll be fine.”

He nods and smiles, “Well, enjoy your time with your friends, just text me this evening when you’re close to the station and I’ll come pick you up, okay?”

You nod and climb out, “Thank you so much, I’ll see you this evening.”

 

~

 

The train ride seems to stretch on forever and there’s not much to do but think. Right now, that’s the last thing you want to do and thankfully, before you can go down the rabbit hole, Jimin starts hitting up your phone.

**_Morning Angel, are you on your way yet?_** Comes his text with a welcomed ‘Ping!’

**_Just boarded the train_**


	31. Its nothing. (Cont.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 30 keeps glitching somehow... Well anyway, here's the rest of it.

**_Great! I’ll be waiting at the station when you come… Is it weird that I’m excited you’ll be in my hometown?_ **

You smile at the message and automatically reply, ** _I’ve missed you._**

You start worrying when there’s no immediate response but before you can fret too much, your phone screen lights up, as does your face.

**_Wah… What’s gotten into you? I miss you too <3 _ **

You keep chatting until you finally make it to Busan and just as he said, he’s waiting, rocking on his heels with a bouquet of flowers in hand as you get off the train.

“Oppa!” You call, waving to him as you approach.

“Angel Cakes…” He greets, squeezing you as you embrace him.

He hands you the flowers and you smile down at them, “You know you don’t have to get me flowers every time we meet, right?”

“But you like flowers.” He states, taking you by the hand.

“They’re expensive though… Besides, there’s something else I’d prefer.”

“Really?” He asks, looking down at you, “Well, what is it?”

You smile brightly, “A kiss.”

He rolls his eyes and chuckles, “Well it’s a good thing I can give you hundreds of those anytime then, isn’t it?”

“Then why don’t you?” You ask, pouting.

You cross the busy road together and he asks, looking around on the other side, “Now?”

You try to seem nonchalant, “Well… If you want to… I guess…”

He shakes his head and leads you off to where there doesn’t seem to be anyone. He moves his hands to your hips and pulls you close as he backs you up against the wall before dipping his head, lips hovering just above yours as he teases. “Sorry Angel? I didn’t quite get your answer…” He smirks, “What with all that noise back there…”

You shrug, trying to look anywhere but at his mouth, “Uhm, well… Since we’re here…”

He presses his forehead to yours and chuckles breathily, pushing your hair behind your ear, “Uh huh?”

“Park Jimin…” You whine, tugging at his coat.

He chuckles and leans into you, barely brushing his mouth over yours, making you catch his full lower lip between your teeth and softly pull him back to you.

“Please.” You ask earnestly, pressing yourself to him and looking into his eyes.

“Fuck Angel, if you ask like that…” He searches your face quickly and pins your arms above your head with one hand before so lustfully kissing you, and you don’t think twice before losing yourself in his rough kiss, not caring that you’re moaning into his mouth and that he moves so forcefully against you, filling you with an overwhelming heat and need for more before he abruptly pulls away.

“Angel.” He rasps, looking down his nose at you as he catches his breath, “Is everything okay?”

You nod with a smile, trying to kiss him again, “Of course.”

He pulls away, “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I just really needed that.”

“Why?” He asks, still pinning your arms.

“Just because…” You close your eyes, “I’ve been feeling kinda…” You want to tell him about your bad dream but decide that you can’t really, so you just say, “...restless lately, you know?”

“Restless?” He asks with a smirk.

You nod again and look down, “I’ve even been having these weird dreams and I wake up feeling so…”

“Thirsty?” He offers and you blush, as it is somewhat true, though you don’t want to admit it.

He smirks and kisses you again, just as passionately, this time allowing you to have your way with him. When you break off the kiss, he takes your hand again and kisses the top of it before walking out to the busy street again as if nothing happened.

“How’s Tae doing?” He asks after some time.

“Taetae?” You sigh and stare into the distance, “Actually… After you left the other day, we spoke a little and he ended up giving us his blessing in a way… I mean, we really don’t need it, but I value his opinion and it is nice to know that he’s not opposed to us being together, I guess.”

“That’s great then.” He smiles, squeezing your hand.

~

** Hoseok: **

Unable to fathom the events of the past few days, Hoseok sits at the desk in his room staring blankly at Suran’s sleeping figure in his bed with a single thought ringing in his head:

_How the hell did we get here?_

A soft knock at his door disturbs the single thought from going through his head yet again and makes him look up. His sister peers in and gestures for him to join her. He nods and puts the baby book he was trying to read down, following Dawon into her bedroom.

“How’re you holding up?” She asks, tossing him a pillow as she crawls back into her bed.

He climbs under the covers and sits opposite her, his answer nothing but a shrug.

“Come on Hoseok…” She nudges him with her foot, “You need to talk to someone.”

“Noona… I don’t even know what to say.”

She sighs, “Okay then… In that case is it fine if I ask you some questions?”

He shrugs again to which she just nods.

“Well, there’s no point in pussyfooting around, so… How do you feel about Suran being here?” She asks quietly.

“I don’t know…” He sighs and rubs his face, “I mean I’m glad that I get to monitor things with the baby a bit better and I can be here for Suran but…” He sighs again, “She’s… This… This whole thing with Eomma being like this… Neither of us want that.”

“You mean with them wanting you to get married?” She asks delicately.

Hoseok nods, “Yeah… I don’t see why we have to just because we’re having the baby.” He leans forward, “I know it’s important for her to have both parents and a stable family growing up, but if we can’t love each other, we’ll probably just get frustrated and fight all the time. Wouldn’t that be more damaging to her? We can still both love her and care for her if we’re not married, it’s not like I expect Suran to take care of her alone.”

She twirls her hair, examining the ends, “I get where you’re coming from Hoseokie, but you also have to consider how people will treat her, you know… They can be pretty mean and if the kids at school find out, they might bully her, especially if you’re with Yoongi or, maybe with some other man in the future.”

He’s taken aback at her words, especially the last part, and she quickly adds, “I’m just saying. You do need to think about it. I accept you as you are and I understand that you really don’t want to get married to her -I’m sure our parents do too- but people are still very small-minded here and your baby might end up getting hurt.”

He closes his eyes and runs a hand through his hair, “That’s the last thing I want to do. To hurt her, I mean.”

She nods, “I know… Have you guys talked about this properly yet? You and Suran.”

“Yeah, we actually spent most of the night talking, we only fell asleep a few hours ago.” He yawns, “She thinks maybe we should live together next year, which I don’t mind, it will be easier to raise the baby that way and will give her some level of stability, so yeah… That’s kinda what I’m leaning towards at the moment. I just don’t know how we’re supposed to convince Eomma and Appa about that, you know? And then of course, I’ll have to tell Yoongi which is probably not going to be easy either…”

“It’ll all work out for the best… You’ll find a way to make it work and also… Remember in the future that whatever you decided to do now would have been the best decision you could have made, given what you had and how you felt at the time... And there’s nothing wrong with that.” She smiles at her brother before looking like she’s going to burst with laughter.

“What?” Hoseok asks.

“It’s nothing.” She replies, still seemingly amused.

“What is it?” He presses. “I can see you want to say something.”

She giggles, “I’m just trying to imagine how this went down… Like isn’t it against the rules to sleep with your vocal trainer?”

He throws a pillow at her, “Really Noona? You’ve just ruined the moment. I had so much respect for you for a few seconds there…” He sighs with a smile, trying to look disappointed, “And she isn’t even my vocal trainer. I don’t even have a vocal trainer. I’m a dancer. Don’t you know that?”

She shrugs, “Don’t you have to take singing lessons though?”

He shakes his head with a scowl, “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Well then, how did you end up with this mysterious older woman?”

“Yoongi’s in producing. They met behind the scenes of some college thing. She was always around after that and then we got drunk and here we are. Does that answer your question?”

“It sounds like there’s way, way, more to that story… But its fine.” She sniffles and fake sobs, “I guess you don’t trust me with your secrets as much as I trust you. I’ll just have to do the same from now on.”

“Finally.” He says with a chuckle, getting up. “Now I don’t have to hear about how flexible you are every time you meet a new guy.”

“Hoseok!” She chides.

“I’m gonna get ready for work.” He pauses before closing the door, “Thanks for the talk, Sis.”

~

** Y/N: **

You spend the day with Jimin, happy just to be with him and that he walks hand in hand, so freely in his hometown, not caring who sees the two of you together. He stops off at home and gives you a small tour of his house, mostly his room where the two of you catch up properly and thereafter, he takes you for brunch and sightseeing a little, as you’d never really spent much time in Busan before.

The day has a different kind of feeling and although you’re enjoying your time with him, you can’t help but feel fidgety and hyperaware of everything that’s going on around you. You try to fight the odd, somewhat detached feeling and remain present in the moment with Jimin, but today something just feels off.

You’re pretty much angry with yourself when you realise that it’s time for you to leave already and you’re a bit sulky on the way over to the train station.

“You know how much I like you, right?” Jimin asks, caressing your face before letting you go.

“I really like you too.” You pout and sigh, “I wish I didn’t have to go back already.”

“Me too.” He pecks your forehead and gives a small smile. “You should probably get going before your train leaves though.”

You scrunch up your nose and wrap your arms around him one last time, squeezing him tightly, “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Of course, Babe…” He moves back to look at you and swings your hands in his loosely before letting go, “Take your time figuring out what’s going on in that cute little head of yours, okay?”

“What?” You ask as the final call for your train sounds through the station.

“You should get your train. Thanks for spending the day with me, Angel.”

He shoos you into the train and you reluctantly climb on, feeling downright awful about leaving like that. He winks coolly and waves goodbye, sticking his hands into his pockets and sighing, watching you disappear from his sight as the train moves off.

 


	32. What about us?

** Y/N: **

After returning from Busan, you spend much of your time out of the house and with friends or just simply indoors with your eyes glued to a book and your earphones blasting music to keep anyone from talking to you. Taehyung seems indifferent for the most part, though any interaction between the two of you is highly strained.

You hate to admit it, but behaving this way makes you feel emotionally drained and you begin to wonder why you couldn’t just act normally, knowing that you may be overreacting to the situation but unable to just continue as you were before, since you’ve already started in this way and there’s only one day left until your parents return.

You contemplate all this while doing the dinner dishes with Taehyung in silence. When you finish washing the last of them, you move to leave the kitchen and he calls you -rather suddenly and loudly- by your full name. You turn on your heel immediately, given how weird it is for him to do that to you, your expression not masking your surprise.

He rubs at his neck and looks up from the floor, “Take a stroll with me?”

~

“So… What’s going on?” You ask after a few minutes of walking in silence.

“Nothing.” Taehyung answers with his hands stuffed into his pockets, “I just wanted to spend some time together before you go home on Sunday.”

You chuckle, “You do know I’m only a couple of houses away, right?”

He kicks a stone in his path and laughs back, “Yeah, well it’s been hard enough trying to get your attention these past few days and we share a room!”

You open your mouth to say something in defence of your actions, but can’t justify them even to yourself, so you just shut it and keep walking.

“Did it make you that uncomfortable? What I said the other day about liking you?”

“What?” You ask, stopping. “No, not at all. I’m glad you told me.”

He turns to face you, “Are you? Really? Because it doesn’t seem that way.”

“Yeah…” You say, looking away, “It’s nice to know I wasn’t the only one who got confused about my feelings back in the day.”

“Yeah, back in the day.” He smiles, though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes, and walks on. Before long, he stops again, “You know, we still haven’t dyed your hair.”

“Oh. Right.” You pause next to him, “I forgot about that actually.”

“I thought so.” He nods to himself, “Well… Do you still want to do it?”

_Yes please! I really, really need a change and… I want to spend time with you._

You smile up at him and shake your head, “Nah, it’s okay.”

He sighs, “Just because we’ve been distant doesn’t mean that I don’t know you anymore. We’ll dye your hair tomorrow.” He brings his face to your level at your confused expression and chuckles softly, “I could see the wheels turning in your head Baby Girl and I agree, we should spend some time together. Also… It’s not only you who thinks your hair could do with some spicing up.” He ruffles your locks with an amused laugh.

“Oppa!” Comes your automatic reply as you whack him on the arm.

“Oppa!” He echoes, imitating you and skipping away.

You smile at him, feeling oddly at peace as you watch the joking man just ahead of you. He meets your gaze and waits up, shaking his head, tongue in cheek, as you slow your step to annoy him.

Upon reaching him, you give your most blinding grin at his sigh.

“Geez… Why are you like this, huh?” He murmurs in a low tone.

You shrug, “If I was taking too long, you could have just come to me first.”

“I should have… Mmh, I should.” He rolls his eyes and laughs again, throwing an arm over your shoulders, “Whatever, come on.”

~

_“Patience, Baby Girl…” The tanned man you’re entangled with murmurs in your ear, softly nipping the lobe between his teeth._

_His chuckle, soft, sweet and raspy, delights in the way you react to his touch as he trails his fingers gently along the curves of your body and the lace of your panties, where he strokes you, nearly soaking them before even slipping his warm hand beneath them. You feel extraordinarily sensitive and flinch when he caresses your bare centre, making him pull back to look at you, “You okay, Baby Girl?” He asks, his voice deep and reassuring._

_You nod in response and he brings his mouth to yours, kissing you softly, tenderly, but progressively more passionately as you become more comfortable and let the work of his deft hands intoxicate you._

Puzzled with the knowledge that the dream had changed, but too heavy with the feel of his touch and the scent of his skin to care, you come out of your sleep feeling oddly like a younger version of yourself and wonder whether you’re still half asleep, given how vivid his lingering scent and heat feels. Lazily opening your eyes, you muse at the dark brown pair that stares back at you full of concern, wide and slanted with that slight crease in the monolid of one and you smile, realising that you must still be sleeping.

“Baby Girl, are you okay?” The man asks, brushing your hair from your face and feeling your head with the back of his warm palm.

Your heart sinks and you’re filled with dread, fully aware that this is in no way a dream and knowing that those eyes that you wake up from every morning are the same ones staring at you now, the same ones that belong to your friend.

“Taehyungah?” You ask in a small voice.

“Mmh.” He nods, “Are you okay?”

You sit up, pulling the blankets up around you even though you’re fully clothed, feeling exposed, and defensively ask, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Ah, you were cold?” He stands up awkwardly, “You were whimpering in your sleep, so I thought you were having a nightmare. I’ll go make some tea.”

He leaves the room and you slump down, burying your face in your hands.

_Holy… Shit…_

_What the fuck is going on with me?_

_Seriously… You mean to tell me; these disturbing dreams have been of Tae all along?_

_Fucking hell, I need to get my head checked. I need to get my head checked ASAP._

Taehyung returns shortly with two mugs and plonks himself down opposite you. You focus your energy on the hot tea in your hands, as he still stares worriedly at you.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asks.

You chance meeting his eyes and nod with a smile before looking back down and sipping the hot liquid.

“These two weeks went fast, huh?” He asks with a chuckle.

“You think so?” You return, “I don’t think they could have gone by any slower.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” He exclaims, grinning sheepishly, “It’s not just me then…” He gives a small, sad smile, picking at the blanket.

You look up again and this time, see only him, putting aside the odd fabrications of your mind, and realise how hurt and unsure of himself he looks. Your next words just fall from your lips, “I really didn’t expect to spend it like this.”

He nods, “Yeah, we kinda fucked it up, didn’t we?”

You nod in agreement, “I’m sorry Taetae.”

One corner of his mouth tugs upward, “Hey, don’t be. If anyone’s to blame, its me.”

You roll your eyes, “Let’s not compete over who fucked up more, okay? We still have the whole holiday together to make up for it.”

He smiles, “Starting today?”

“Starting today.”

~

** Yoongi: **

No matter how much he tries to sleep on, Yoongi cannot get his mind off Hoseok and how excited he is that he’s kept his promise to come through on his day off from work, knowing that there are other things needier of his attention. Having not seen him since the day they went to the hospital with Suran, he frets over what Hoseok will be like when they meet again.

Becoming fidgety, he climbs out of bed and draws himself a relaxing bath. The calm feeling doesn’t last long thereafter when he gets a text from Hoseok saying that he’ll arrive in under an hour. There isn’t much to do besides wait, but that makes it all the more worse, as there is nothing to preoccupy his mind in the meanwhile.

When the knock at his door echoes through his house, Yoongi rushes over to the door but forces himself to wait a couple of seconds before opening. When he does, he’s surprised at the urgent embrace that Hoseok pulls him into.

“What took you so long?” Hoseok asks, burrowing his head into his neck.

Yoongi’s chest feels tight at the unexpected warmth and he squeezes him back, stroking his hair. Hoseok moves his head from his neck and tenderly kisses Yoongi, murmuring into his mouth, “Fuck… I’ve missed you so much.”

Yoongi smiles against his mouth and opens it to Hoseok as he pulls him inside and shuts the door. Hoseok picks him up and carries him over to the couch, his mouth as hot as his kiss is fiery. Yoongi presses himself to the man above him as he sucks at his neck, making him groan loudly, encouraging him further. Their shirts already lost, Yoongi tries to unbuckle Hoseok’s pants but is abruptly stopped by a firm hand over his.

“Wait. Fuck.” Hoseok sits up and runs a hand through his hair with his eyes closed.

Yoongi, still beneath him, feels embarrassed and doesn’t quite know what to do with himself.

Hoseok opens his eyes and looks down at him, “Shit Babe, I’m sorry.” He bends to kiss him softly, “I really am sorry.” He climbs off of him and puts his shirt back on.

Yoongi does the same and shrugs. “Whatever, I just thought maybe you wanted to-”

“I do,” He turns to him and takes his hand, “I really do… but I think we need to talk.”

After catching him up on everything that’s been happening back home, he waits for Yoongi to say something, but the boy just sits there, lost for words.

“Yoongi…”

He looks up at the mention of his name and gives a faint smile, “So, you’re getting married?”

“No. I mean… Maybe.” Hoseok scratches his head, “I’m trying to get out of it.”

Yoongi nods, “But either way, you’re going to live together from now on… and she sleeps in your bed.”

“We’re not sharing the bed and we won’t when we get our own place either. I’m only doing this because it’s best for the baby.”

“Is she?” He asks curtly.

“Of course, Yoongi. She’s just as opposed to getting married as I am and she doesn’t get along with my parents either. Quite frankly, I feel like she needs to leave that house before my mom drives her up the pole.”

“So then… What about us?”

Hoseok sighs with a shrug, “If you’ll still have me, then I’d like to stay together… But it’s probably gonna be wildly different between us and I’m going to have a lot less time available to you.”

Yoongi bites his lip and goes quiet again for a while before speaking, “It’ll be a big adjustment.” He scratches his neck, “But I’m willing to try.”

“Really?” Hoseok asks, sure that he was going to say no.

“I mean… I still love you and I want to be with you, Hoseok. Even if you marry her and we can’t be together, I’m not just going to disappear from your life -unless of course you want me to.” He looks up into Hoseok’s widened eyes and gives a faint smile before looking down and shyly pressing his lips to the top of his hand.

“I don’t.” Hoseok shakes his head, “Want you to disappear, that is.”

~

** Y/N: **

After breakfast with the family, you spend the morning with Taehyung, packing most of your things so that when your parents arrive the next day, your families can go out and spend it together.

“Okay, Baby Girl. You ready for me?” Taehyung murmurs in your ear, his hands on your shoulders.

“I think so.” You nod, closing your eyes to your reflection in the mirror, with him behind you.

He strokes your hair softly and you lean into his hand slightly, letting out a slow breath.

“Don’t be so nervous, Hun. I’m right here with you.”

“Taetae, please let’s just get this started before I change my mind.” You ask, tugging on his shirt as you turn to face him.

He takes your face in his hands and brings his near, “Patience, Baby Girl…”

Your heart starts racing at the likeness of, not only his words, but also his tone, with your dreams and he winks at you, “Just let me get one more proper look at you before I fuck up.”

You beam, wielding a tinting brush, “Don’t be so dramatic, okay?”

“You’re the one on the verge of tears about dyeing your hair!” He exclaims, wagging his brush at you.

“Well, if you remember the last time…” You gently remind him of the time you tried to go blonde but then had to walk around with some dreadful coppery shade for a month before your parents would let you get it fixed.

“Do you want to dye me too? Then we can both look like shit if it turns out bad.”

“You’d do that for me?” You ask, touched.

“I mean, I’m pretty handsome, you know? I could pull off any hair colour if I wanted.” He shrugs cockily, “If I don’t like it, I could probably shave my head and still look fucking good.”

“Actually, you’d just look like an newborn Chihuahua if you did.” You giggle and roll your eyes, “Come on, we don’t have all day.”

The pair of you work quickly with the bleach on your hair and then while you wait, you give him some highlights with what’s left over. Returning from the bathroom after rinsing the bleach from your hair, you giggle as you walk into the bedroom to see him sitting at the sunny window with a pink shower cap on his head, face upturned to catch as much of the warmth as possible. You nudge him on the ledge, and he opens his eyes to look at you.

“Come on, I’ll help you rinse your hair.” You offer.

While you do, he sits with his eyes closed and an amused smile splayed across his face, so you give him a head massage while you’re at it and, for a while he falls asleep. You start applying the dye to your hair after making him comfortable. Though it’s difficult given the small space in the bathroom, you don’t mind, since it’s much easier than bleaching and it doesn’t hurt that he looks so adorable when he sleeps either.

Working around his awkward sleeping position is difficult in the confined space and you struggle to get a decent angle to dye his hair after finishing your own. Nonetheless, you take care to make sure the colour is spread evenly and become absorbed in what you’re doing, making your way around his head from the back. When you come to the front, you have to hover over him as you try not to disturb his rest.

“Sit down, Baby Girl.” Taehyung sleepily murmurs, snaking his arms around your waist, his touch making you start. “How have you been working in the air all this time?”

He pulls you down to sit on his lap and rubs your back before opening his eyes, with his head tilted back as he goes on to ask, “Isn’t that better?”

For a minute or two, you can do nothing but stare at him and he looks attentively at you in return, “You okay, Baby Girl?”

You nod, in some sort of daze but quickly snap out of it and joke, “I thought we were supposed to dye my hair together.”

He chuckles low and deep, “I’ll take you out to make up for it later, okay?”

You can’t help the little flutter of your heart, and smile at the suggestion, “You better.”


	33. No.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! I hope it brings both growth and happiness!

** Y/N: **

“Baby Girl!” Taehyung hollers after you as you skip ahead of him.

You look over your shoulder at him and smile as you swing around to walk backward, “Come on, Taetae!”

“Do you even know where you’re going?” He asks as he catches up to you, knowing very well your bad sense of direction.

“Not a clue!” You grin, looking around you, “But that makes it so much more fun.” You hold out your hands to him and cock your head to the side, “Come on, Oppa.”

He takes your hands in his and drapes them around his neck. He moves closer to you, resting his hands on the small of your back and moving slowly in a nonsensical pattern that you know all too well. After a while, his breath tickles your ear as he murmurs, “Are you okay with this?”

“What do you mean?” You ask, looking up at him as the two of you sway.

“You seem to tense up every time I come close to you.”

“I don’t tense up.” You say in denial.

He chuckles at that, “If you say so, Baby Girl.”

You sigh and bury your head in his neck, “I’ve really, really missed you Taetae.”

At that, he hugs you closer to him and burrows into your hair, making you feel the light, quick rhythm of his heart, “I… I…” He pulls away and laughs, “I think you may be drunk already.”

You swat at his arm, having expected him to at least return the comment, “Oh, come on Tae! I’ve only had three drinks. I’m just happy tonight.”

He chuckles and slings an arm over your shoulders, quickly leaving a kiss in your hair, “Okay, okay, Hun. On to the next round then?”

“Lead the way.”

~

As you sit with your head propped up in your hands, watching Taehyung dance in front of you in the pub, you realise it was a mistake to drive all the way into town for drinks tonight; you should have just stuck to the usual places, closer to home.

“We shouldn’t have come all this way.” You mumble, shaking your head.

Taehyung downs the last of his drink, “I thought we’d be home by eleven. Didn’t think we’d have so much fun.”

“Well, we can’t drive back like this.”

He nods and steps toward you, trying to sweep a strand of hair from your face before giving up and placing his hands on your shoulders, “We should go to a hotel.”

“What?”

He chuckles, bringing his face near, “Don’t get weird ideas… Just to sleep.” He yawns, “Its three already and I’m tired. If we take a taxi or get a driver now -which I don’t think will be easy- what time will we get back? We can’t go home so drunk in the morning. We need to sleep.”

“I don’t know, Tae…”

“Come on...” He twirls around, drink in hand, spilling slightly, “We can keep drinking and fall asleep whenever we want to, however we want to.”

He picks you up off of your chair and pulls you to him, wiggling his eyebrows as he says, “We’ve always wanted to go to a love hotel Baby Girl, now we can check it out without feeling guilty.”

“Fuck… Let’s just do it.” You shake your head with a smile.

~

Against your wishes, Taehyung books the honeymoon suite at one of the better-looking motels and when the two of you open the room door and stumble in, you turn to look at each other with crinkled noses. He laughs and dashes forward, landing on the large round bed with crimson sheets that takes up most of the room.

You close the door behind you and lean against it, sinking slightly into the plush carpet as you rest your weight, taking the room in. It smells faintly of old cigarettes; the walls are some dark colour -purple maybe- and the lights are very dimly set. In one corner, there’s a heart-shaped bathtub with an array of small colourful bottles. You walk around the room, feeling oddly detached from yourself, with the distinct feeling that you should not be here. That this is wrong. There’s a TV mounted to the wall and a stack of what looks to be pornography DVDs on a shelf just below, which you breeze past to stand at the window. You push the velvety curtains apart and the view that greets you is of another flashy motel just across the way.

You sigh and as you draw them closed again, feel Taehyung lace his arms around your waist, making you start.

“It’s only me.” He whispers softly. “This not what you expected?”

“No. The room is perfect.” You say, offering a weak smile as you turn to face him.

He rolls his eyes, “It feels kinda dirty, doesn’t it?”

“No. Everything seems very clean.” You smile again, telling the truth.

“It doesn’t feel like somewhere you should be with me though, right?”

You furrow your brow and he grins, his face a perfect mask, knowing you’re trying to read him.

He lets go of you and crosses his arms, “It’s only weird if you make it that way, Baby Girl. Let’s have a drink, shall we?”

He grabs two beers and opens one for you, “Baby Girl.” He says, holding it out to you. He opens the other and takes a gulp, walking over to the tub. He climbs in, fully clothed, and looks over his shoulder expectantly at you, “Well?”

You smile, genuinely this time, and skip over to him, plonking yourself down in the left half of the heart. He nods at that and kicks his legs straight out ahead of him, crossing them over on the edge. You try to do the same but your legs are too short to reach over, so you just let them rest at the bottom of the tub. Taehyung laughs outright at that and you narrow your eyes at him, turning your body slightly so that you’re able to dump your legs over his. He winces at the force with which you do and sighs, repositioning them to be higher up on his thigh.

“You’re such a bitch.” He mumbles playfully, shaking his head and pulling off your shoes, chucking them over his shoulder so that each lands on the carpet with a soft thud.

“So are you, Oppa.” You flash your teeth and wink, “A silly, whiny bitch.”

Out of nowhere, he bites your knee, making you shriek and he chuckles, “What were you saying?”

“That you’re a bitch.” You stick out your tongue and reach over to rub at the spot he bit.

He rolls his eyes again and leans back, watching as you fuss over it. He bites his lip and leans forward again, to examine it. He looks up into your eyes, “Is it very sore?”

You’re lying, but nod with a frown, pouting and he draws his thumb over it a few times. He looks to you as if to ask if it’s okay and you shake your head. He sighs and drops a couple of kisses in place of his thumb, which has moved around to caress the back of your knee. That spot is sensitive to his touch and he should know it well, though when he checks if you’re still ‘in pain’ you see no trace of knowledge on his face and just nod so that he doesn’t do it again.

“So, who’s this mystery girl you’ve been seeing?” You ask lightly, taking a sip of your beer.

“Mystery girl?” He asks, looking confused with a cigarette dangling between his lips.

“The one you spoke of at college. You said there was a girl on your mind. Is she not the one you snuck out to go see before Jimin came over the other night?”

“Oh.” He lowers his lighter without lighting the cigarette. “Truthfully, there isn’t anyone.” He stares at the lighter, “I only said I was with a girl when I got drunk because I didn’t want you to know I’d been drinking alone all day.” He looks over at you with a sheepish smile before quickly looking away and finally lighting his cigarette.

It dawns on you that your friend has been struggling with something, right under your nose, for what seems to be a long time, without you knowing and you scold yourself for having been so selfishly wrapped up in your own feelings since things went south with Inho; and you feel sick with the thought that you really hadn’t been a good friend to him since then, even though he’d consistently supported and cared for you when you were having a hard time.

“Taehyungah.” You murmur delicately, “What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing.” He looks at you again, “Really.”

“Tell me.” You ask, moving closer to him.

“I swear, I’m fine.”

You squish him over to sit next to him in his side of the heart, “What’s going on?”

He looks at you, really looks at you, as if considering telling you everything he’s been holding in, but once again he slips that familiar mask on and puffs on his smoke, saying nothing. You reach out and touch his cheek and he rests his head in your palm, letting his eyes flutter closed for a moment. You stroke his hair and feel him relax further into your touch, so you lay his head on your shoulder, holding him close to you in a sort of foetal position, absentmindedly running your hands through his hair and eventually, he wraps his arms around you too. Though you want him to open up to you, you know he’s always had trouble talking about his feelings, so for tonight at least, you’ll let him be.

“Don’t think I don’t expect some answers in the near future.” You warn.

“Thank you.” He breathes the words against your neck, kissing the flesh once, his lips lingering perhaps a second too long. With his cigarette now put out, he finds your hand and interlaces your fingers with his, but it doesn’t feel weird to you. None of it does. It only feels right, and tonight, after seeing him this way, you don’t feel the need to question why.

After some time, the two of you start your joking up again and, feeling your buttocks go numb, trade the bathtub for the bed and your empty cans for full ones. You lie on your backs, staring up at your reflections in the cheap mirror on the ceiling. It distorts your appearances somewhat, but not dramatically so -just enough for you to muse at it.

Taehyung lights up another smoke and you watch in wonderment as the foreign, concentrated cloud that leaves his mouth diffuses into the air and bonds with it, becoming one as they dance around each other.

He rolls on to his side to look at you, “Your hair turned out lovely…” He takes a drag and exhales, “And I didn’t think you could get any prettier.”

“You’re such a charmer.” You roll your eyes. “Complete with the cigarette and everything.”

“You think it makes me more charming?” He challenges, since you usually have nothing good to say about him smoking.

You shut your eyes, having put your foot in your mouth, “Ordinarily I would say no. Smoking is super-duper bad for your health Tae, but… I’m too tipsy to really think about that now. Now… Now this smoke is filling up my head and it smells so sexy, like some cool mint drink on a hot day and I just want to -want to…” You sigh, “I don’t know what I want to do, but it makes me want to do something.”

“You want one?” He asks, box at the ready.

“What? No, I’ve never smoked Tae. You know that.”

Looking down at you, he breathes the menthol vapour into your face, saying, “You could have a puff of mine if you wanted… Or I could just pass you the smoke…” He suggests.

“How?” You ask softly, propping yourself up on your elbows.

“Just… Try to suck it, okay?” He asks before taking a drag.

“Wait, wh-”

You’re cut off by the urgent pressing of his mouth against yours, and he breathes the smoke slowly into yours but you’re confused by what’s going on so you pull away, coughing.

“What the hell, Tae?” You shriek, sitting up.

He chuckles, “You’re supposed to inhale the smoke as I give it to you.”

“You could have told me it involves kissing!” You whack his chest.

“It’s not kissing. I’m a pretty good kisser -You would know if I were trying to kiss you.” He says in a panicky huff, running his hand through his hair, “I just pushed some air into your mouth -like in CPR.”

You try to glower at him but can’t stay serious, “Well, still you gave me a fright.”

“I've already told you," He says in a heavy tone, "We’re here to drink and sleep. I’ve got no other intentions.”

“Really?”

“Yeah..." He shakes his head, "You want another go at it?”

You bite your lip in contemplation and give the tiniest of nods. A devilish grin lights up his face and he brings his face to yours, hovering above you for a second before softly touching his lips to yours. You open yours to him and he fills your mouth with the tickling hot minty smoke which leaves a cooling sensation where it licks your throat.

He pulls away, his deep voice murmuring in amusement, “You closed your eyes…”

You meet his soft, intense gaze and watch his lids resist the urge to flutter shut as you slowly exhale the smoke into his face.

He bites down on his lip and brushes your hair from your face, “Fuck, you’re so hot…”

Your head is heavy with his scent, distant memories and scenes from your dreams that fill you with an intense need that builds within you; and it feels as if it could devour you if you don’t do something.

You press your hands to his chest and he starts to move off you.

“No.” You breathe, your voice a strangled, urgent whisper as you tug at his shirt. His pupils seem to consume his soft, brown irises which he closes to you as you reach up and press your lips to his. “I want you.”


	34. Aren't we enough?

** Y/N: **

For the first time in much too long, you taste the feeling of home, of peace and of sweet, carefree happiness. You taste spicy, musky skin and you taste alcohol and tobacco and mint. You taste yourself and you taste Taehyung and the taste could not be headier. You’re giddy and greedy for it and you yearn to fill yourself up with it and let it consume you. This is Taehyung. This is what being with him feels like. Like having a mind incapable of coherent thought, a mouth that’s far too selfish and a body that’s ready to melt for him.

The only kindness in this kiss is when your lips first touch his. When his mouth crashes down on yours again, there is no hint of sweetness or any playful nature between the two of you. This kiss, borne out of pure frustration and a mutual need for more, is almost angry.

Taehyung pins you down beneath him and pulls your legs around him, making you feel his need for you. With your mouths dancing, you grab fistfuls of his hair in an attempt to bring him closer. He gropes you and presses you up against him, not even pausing but somehow, managing to rip off his shirt.

The feeling of his bare, fiery tanned skin and his hot mouth on you as he licks, grazes and bites whatever flesh he can, drives any remaining thought from your mind and you’re completely thrown into the moment, so aware of your soft whining as he moves hard against you with a persistent half-whimpering, half-groaning primal sound, which becomes increasingly filled with impatience as he struggles with your stubborn buttons and belt that won’t come undone. You bring him back to your mouth but mid-kiss, open your eyes to find him doing the same.

Looking into each other’s eyes, you know: It’s time to stop. The kiss dies, though he still hovers over you. You smile faintly at him and the sad smile is reflected on his own face. You unwrap your legs from around him and he presses his lips softly, very softly, to yours, and you press back against his for a few seconds before letting go of the locks of his hair that you’d forgotten you were clutching tightly.

He lies down next to you again and neither of you say a word, looking at the other in the mirror above. You close your eyes to his reflection as the reality of what you’d done sets in and at that point, he gets up, finds his shirt and quietly leaves the room.

Lying on your side, you curl your head down to your knees and hug your body to yourself, afraid to cry in case he returns. Your body trembles and after it becomes clear that Taehyung won’t be coming back, you begin to weep bitterly, your body being racked with tears that tire you out and seem to be never-ending. Your mind keeps replaying what had happened and you feel sorry for Jimin and for your actions, knowing full well what it feels like to be on the receiving end. At the same time, you hate the part of you that hopes for Taehyung to return and for him to hold you, so that you may fall asleep in those arms of his that have a way of making everything better.

~

Seeing as it’s at your disposal, you draw a bath, squeezing a regrettable combination of sweet scents into the water, choosing them based on their labels: relax, happy and strength. You scrub yourself thoroughly, once, twice, thrice, and another just to be sure that no trace of the previous night lingers on you. You don’t have other clothing to change into, so you just get dressed in what you’d had on before. The door opens as you’re buttoning your shirt and when you turn to see what’s going on, it shuts immediately, and after a few moments, a knock comes from outside.

You open the door and Taehyung stands in the doorway, “Morning Ba-” He swallows his words and tries again, his voice monotone, “Morning. Are you ready to head home?”

You nod, “Don’t you want to wash up? Our parents will probably be waiting by the time we get back… Might as well be clean.”

Without answering, he goes into the small bathroom, equipped with a shower, and comes out a few minutes later towel drying his hair. “Okay, let’s go.”

The drive back is quiet in terms of conversation, but Taehyung puts the radio up so high that when you arrive at his house and he switches the car off, your ears ring for a few seconds. Your parent’s car is parked outside and you walk up to the door with a heavy heart.

The two of you walk in and are met by hostile suspicion.

“Nice of you two to finally join us.” Your mother, the first to speak, greets.

“Sorry, we were out last night and had too much to drink to drive back.” You offer.

“Better safe than dead, right?” Taehyung chuckles, trying to make light of the situation.

Both sets of parents sigh as if wanting to argue but not having the energy.

“Just get dressed, you fools.” Taehyung’s father dismisses.

You go over to greet your parents properly and they embrace you tightly, “We’ve missed you, Buttercup.” Your father murmurs, kissing the top of your head.

~

** Hoseok: **

Weary and dragging his aching limbs into the house, Hoseok comes home from work to find his mother cornering Suran yet again. She stands over the pregnant woman, preaching about all the reasons they should get married and the ‘proper way’ to raise a child. This is what he’s been coming home to every day since Suran came to stay with them, and he’s just about reached boiling point. Unlike the days before, she’s shouting at the girl and doesn’t let her get a word in edgewise. He’s about to say something to get her to stop as he always does, when he notices Suran’s tear-stained face. _What the fuck?_

“Are you okay?” He asks, sitting down next to the mother of his unborn child.

“She’s fine. We’re just having a conversation.” His mother writes off, “Now, about this wedding-”

“Can you just shut up about this shit for one second?!” He explodes, “You can’t honestly expect this of us!” Hoseok yells, having had enough of his parents trying to force a marriage on to them.

“Watch your language, Hoseok!” His mother shouts back. “Grow up and face reality! As a parent you have to make sacrifices for your kids. Geez!” She shakes her head, “It’s not the end of the world, you know? Feelings can change.”

“I’m gay!” He throws his hands up, “Do I need to spell it out for you? I don’t have feelings for women!”

“Well, somehow you ended up impregnating one anyway!” His father booms, coming to stand next to his mother. “Get over yourself!”

“No!” He stops himself from yelling and pleads, “I can't live a lie for the rest of my life like that and I refuse to force her-” He points at Suran, his voice becoming more strangled, “-into such inevitable misery. Fuck what the world thinks. I think it would be much more confusing and damaging to my daughter if her parents are constantly fighting or struggling to keep their heads above water because they’re forced to be something else even in their own home. How will she ever learn to love her true self?” He shakes his head, more convinced of himself as he pictures the future, “Fuck no… You know what?” He whips around, eyes heavy with disdain as he stares at his parents, “We don’t have to take this shit.” He takes Suran by the hand and marches her off to his room, leaving his parents stunned in his wake.

“Watch your language and don’t slam that door, young man!” His mother screeches.

“Are you okay?” He asks Suran once inside.

He sets her down on the bed, drying her tears with his sleeve, “I should never have brought you here. I’m so sorry.”

“I agreed to stay, it’s not your fault.” She smiles faintly.

Hoseok sighs, “We need to leave.”

“What do you mean?” She asks, sniffling.

He pushes off the bed and grabs suitcases out of his cupboard. “I’ve had enough of this, haven’t you?”

“Well, yes but…” She trails off, not knowing why she’s objecting. “What about your parents?”

“I’m not a kid, Suran.” He says in a low tone, pausing his pacing. “This is the last year on my degree and I’ve got a scholarship anyway. You and the baby need stability right now and my parents… They’re causing so much stress and we don’t need any more of that.”

“You don’t think she needs a family?”

“So… you want to get married?”

“No, not at all.” She says firmly, “But my family is out of the question and now if we don’t have yours… She’ll have no-one.”

“Aren’t we enough?”

She scratches her head, “Do you realise how difficult this will be by ourselves? With you studying and me alone with the baby every day? What do we do with her when I have to go back to work?” She gets up off the bed and steps up to him, worry written all over her face, “Sure, I’ve got paid maternity leave but your parents still support you. Where will we get enough money for her? And if we go back to my apartment now, what will happen to your job?”

Hoseok slumps down on the floor and she tries to do sit delicately, but just dumps herself down, her tummy throwing her balance off. He asks her if she’s okay, but she just chuckles and takes his hands in hers.

“Thank you for doing this with me.”

“For real?” He laughs sarcastically, “My mom made you cry today. She’s awful to you.”

“Still… It’s nice to not be completely alone anymore.” She admits.

“So, we’re staying?” He asks.

“How about this… If your parents are still nagging us after New Year’s, then we’ll ditch them.”

“That’s two weeks from now…” He sighs. “Just know I’m ready to bounce out at any time, okay?”

She rests her head on his shoulder, “You don’t want to burn bridges with you parents unless you really have to Hoseok… Let’s try to be patient with them.”

“You’re going to be a great mom.” He chuckles softly, hugging her belly to him, “You know, when I came into the house earlier and saw you crying like that, it got me really pissed off… Like really pissed off.” He looks up at her and gives a small roar, “I felt like the Hulk.”

“Yeah, you looked like him too…” She giggles, ruffling his hair.

~

** Y/N: **

Along with your parents and Taehyung’s family, the lot of you go out to lunch, all driving up together in his mom’s huge car. For a while, you’re so excited about your parent’s return that you don’t really feel the awkwardness of sitting next to him or think about your actions of the night before. That is until after the food arrives and Taehyung’s siblings go off to the play area and your parents become absorbed in their own conversation, leaving the two of you to entertain each other. You don’t really even end up talking though, and at one point you excuse yourself to go to the bathroom and end up just sitting there to pass some time.

While holed up in the bathroom stall pretending you have no problems, your phone buzzes. It’s a text from Jimin: **_Hey Angel, are you alive? My goodnight messages feel lonely without your reply…_**

_Shit!_ You try typing out a few versions of the truth but find yourself unable to press send every time. Eventually, you settle on: **_Sorry Babe, I’ve been out of it… A bit sick_** ** _… Talk tomorrow, okay? ^3^_**

_It’s close to the truth, kinda… Yeah right! Maybe if you were out of your mind and sick in the head!_

The day takes a turn for the worse when they decide to get ice cream and go for a long, scenic drive to watch the sunset, forcing the two of you to sit together and act lively. He feels so terribly warm next to you, far warmer than the cold sun that fights to be seen among the thick clouds, and you struggle to keep from leaning into him, wanting nothing more than to burrow your head into his neck and have him wrap his arms around you.

The drive feels long, awkward, dull and gloomy -just like the day- and you want nothing more than to see it disappear, just like the fading sun as it drops below the horizon. _I want my own bed and my own room and my mommy’s food and I want all this complicated shit to go away!_ Realising how unreasonable you sound even to yourself, you sigh, _I actually just wish I knew what I wanted. Or that I could have no feelings at all. Oh, how great would that be… To have no feelings._


	35. I'm so sorry.

** Jungkook: **

“Good morning…” Jungkook purrs against Jieun’s stomach, feeling her stir beneath him as he kisses her awake.

She arches her back and giggles, twisting handfuls of his hair in her hands.

He moves up to her mouth, kissing her softly, “Last night was fun.”

“Yeah…” She murmurs, delighting in every touch of their lips. “We should do that again sometime.”

“We should, shouldn’t we?” He looks down at her, raising a playful brow and pulling her legs around him, “I mean, I’m definitely up-” He presses her closer to him, “-for it…”

“Punny.” She smirks, biting her lip in anticipation.

He chuckles into her mouth and she grinds against him, the sound of her laboured breath heavy in his ears as he moves to fill her.

~

** Y/N: **

“So…” Your mother looks at you over her coffee mug, “How are things with the new boyfriend?”

“Sorry?” You ask, nearly dropping the milk as you take it out of the fridge.

“Oh, come on, you can't lie to us.” Your father smirks, sipping his drink, “Or did you forget that the boy came to ask our permission to date you?”

“I can't believe you finally said yes to him…” Your mother shakes her head, talking to your father, “After all these years he’s been asking.”

You chuckle, putting the cereal box down on the counter, “What are you guys even talking about?”

“Honey, come on. We all know you and Taehyung are together.” She answers.

“Oh no…” You sigh, running your hands through your hair, “Is this because we spent the night in town?”

“Please,” Your father laughs, “Just the way you two look at each other is enough to know.” His expression turns serious, “But I don’t approve of this whole staying out business. I don’t want to know if you guys were in a motel -you certainly smelled like it- or what you were doing, but I’m not happy about it. I might my revoke my permission if you’re going to be so blatant about things.”

 “I don’t understand…” Your chest fills with an uncomfortable tightness, “He came to ask for your blessing?”

“Why do you look like you want to cry?” Your mother asks, “Anyway, it’s not like it’s the first time he came here and rambled on about how much he loves you and promised all sorts of things if we let him date you.”

“Taehyung did that?”

Your mother looks to your father, both of them confused about the turn the conversation is taking, “We figured he would have told you… But what’s wrong? Are you in a fight or something?”

“No. We’re not dating…” You shake your head, willing your eyes to stop stinging, “He’s never even asked me out… Ever…”

Perplexed, your parents glance at each other again, “Maybe we ruined the surprise…” Your father mumbles. “We’re sorry Pumpkin.”

You shrug and smile weakly, pouring the milk over your cereal, “Uhm, I’m gonna eat this in my room, okay?”

“Okay…” Your mother nods enthusiastically, “Just bring the bowl out when you’re done.”

“Thank you…” You say, shuffling off to your room.

For a while, you stare into the bowl, watching the milk get soaked up, turning the sugary breakfast soggy. You sigh and force a couple of mouthfuls, not wanting to waste it.

_What am I going to do about Jimin?_

You know you have to call him, so before you can talk yourself out of it, you dial his number and hit the call button. After a few rings, Jimin’s soft voice comes across the phone, “Angel Cakes?”

“Hi Jimin.” You manage, your breath having caught at the sound of his cheery tone.

“Ahh, I’ve missed your voice… You still sound a bit sick, are you okay?” He sighs, “Can you believe we’ve not even been together a month? It feels much longer, right?”

“Yeah…” You reply, pursing your lips.

“You know, I was thinking maybe we should see each other on our anniversary… Maybe I could come down and see you?”

_Please don’t make this so hard on me…_

“Yeah, maybe…”

There’s silence for a few seconds before Jimin talks again, “What’s wrong?” He asks in a sombre tone.

“Uhm…” Your breath hitches in your throat again, audibly this time, “Uhm… So something really bad happened… I’m really very sorry…” Your tears escape you and you can't stop yourself from crying into the phone, “I didn’t mean to do it but I -I… I’m so sorry…”

There’s a muted thud on the other side of the phone, and he asks in a very controlled voice, “What happened?”

“It’s no excuse but we were drinking and… And it was very late and we were very drunk and…” Your chest heaves as a fresh wave of tears hits you, “We had to stay over and… I’m so sorry.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He asks, fuming, though his tone has an odd hopefulness to it. “So… What? Taehyung kissed you? Took advantage when you were drunk?”

You wish you could just put it down to that, but your conscience won’t let you, so you timidly admit, “It wasn’t like that Jimin.”

He spits out an unbelieving sigh, “You?” His voice disappears as he asks in a strangled whisper, “It was you?”

“I’m so sorry…”

“Yeah… Me too.” A series of frustrated thuds come across the line and you’re sure he’s punching or kicking something.

“Ji-”

“You know, I fucking knew this would happen!” He growls, “I knew you loved him back and I still went along with it like a fucking idiot!”

“What? No-”

“Did you even like me?”

“Of course, I like you Jimin, I really do.”

“But you love him, right?” He snorts, waiting for a reply, “Right? You’re in love with him?”

“I… I don’t know…” You admit, trying to hold back yet another a threatening sob.

“Yeah, well I think I do.” He spits a laugh and you hear him wipe his face, “Okay. When you figure it out, give me a call… Or don’t, whatever. I’m so fucking stupid…” A hard thud sounds again, “Okay. It was nice knowing you.” The phone clicks off and when you process what happened, it falls from your hand.

You look down at your cereal -it’s too far gone. _Just like me._ Silent tears stream down your face, mourning your fleeting relationship, one that deserved to last much longer, not for your sake, but his. You’re disgusted in yourself for hurting him so recklessly because you do care for him. Maybe it wasn’t love, but he’d liked you so openly and unselfishly, in a way that Taehyung never had, and he didn’t deserve your betrayal. _Might as well just go sort this shit out once and for all._ You push off your bed and with trembling hands, open your cupboard, pulling out a jeans and hoodie.

Dressed and washed up, you take your bowl to the kitchen. You find your parents curled up at the television as you pass them on your way to the door.

“I’m just going over the road quickly, okay?” You ask, putting on your shoes.

“Don’t be out too long!” Your mother calls as you leave the house.

With the urge to turn back home growing stronger with every step you walk, you run up to Taehyung’s house, fighting it. You rap hurriedly on the front door, opened by Taehyung’s younger brother.

“Oh. Hi!” He greets.

You smile at him, “Hi… Is your brother home?”

“He’s in the shower.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll wait in his room then.”

“Come in.” He chirps, letting you in.

You greet his parents in the living room and walk through to his room. You plonk yourself down on his bed and grow impatient with how long he takes, so you start pacing in the small space. When his door swings open, your head whips over your shoulder, relieved to see him.

Wide-eyed and clad only in a towel, he grips it tighter around him, having had a fright to find you there.

“Hi!” He gasps.

“Hi…” You echo.

He looks at you expectantly, waiting for you to say something. Realising you’re stuck, he prompts you, “What’s going on?”

“Do you love me?” You blurt.

He chuckles, “Yes…” He says, as though it should be obvious.

“No. I mean, do you love me love me? Like are you in love with me?” You explain.

His expression becomes clouded, his stance almost defensive, “What does it matter?”

Angry that he won’t answer you, you sigh, “Taehyung just be honest with me for once.”

Taken aback and visibly offended, he responds, “Look, if this is about the other night, you don’t have to worry. I’m not going to say anything to Jimin, that’s for you to decide.”

“I already did.” You dismiss, “Now will you please answer me?”

“You did what?”

“I told him, Taehyung!” You snap, frustrated that he’s not on the same page as you. “Now, do you love me or not?”

“Of course fucking I do!” He snaps back, turning his back to you, “How the hell could I not?”

Your breath is knocked out of you, “What?”

“I’m in love with you.” He says in a small voice, looking over his shoulder at you. “Always have been.”

You back away and slump against the wall, your last bit of strength leaving you, “Are you serious?”

“Why would I lie?” He asks plainly.

“So, my parents weren’t lying when they said you came by before their trip to get their blessing?”

“Why do you think I came home without telling you that time?”

“Fuck…” You mumble, and then as if just remembering, you look up at him, “But you never asked me out?”

“Because you started dating Jimin.”

Overwhelmed, you feel frozen in place and can do nothing but stare at him as he edges closer to you.

“Baby girl…” He coos, cradling your face in his hands, “I’m sorry.”

Your eyes fill with tears and when the first one drops, he swiftly brushes it away with his thumb, murmuring, “I really am in love with you.”

Your chest heaves and you start shuddering as hot, salty tears stream down your face. He embraces you and kisses your forehead, letting you cry. When the tears finally slow, he pulls back to look at you and wipes them away as best he can. You hold his gaze and recognise the look that comes over him, knowing all to well that he wants to kiss you. Turning your face away, you break eye contact, “Please don’t.”

He steps away, wounded, and you shake your head at him, “No.” You assert, “You don’t get to do that.”

Puzzled, he looks into your flaming, red eyes and you frown at him, suddenly livid, “You don’t get to act like the one who’s hurt.” Your voice breaks, “All these years, you’ve been playing with my heart, having known my feelings and never once did you do anything about it. I don’t know what’s so difficult about letting me know!” You chuckle to yourself and push past him, “This whole situation is so fucked.”

He catches your arm and comes to stand in front of you, “I know and I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I can't explain myself and I know, I know that my behaviour is inexcusable.” His eyes are glossy and pleading, “Please. Just let me love you.”

“I don’t think that I can.” You whisper, closing your eyes to him.


End file.
